PLAYING PITCH ASSESSMENT
BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN
OCTOBER 2013
Neil Allen Associates Registered Office:
20 Brook Road, Lymm, Cheshire, WA13 9AH
A limited company, registered in
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 2
01
England and Wales no. 6165280
Contents
Page
Section 1 – Introduction 2
Section 2 – Methodology 3
Section 3 – Population and Sports Participation Profile 7
Section 4 – Football 12
Section 5 – Cricket 56
Section 6 – Rugby 73
Section 7 – Hockey 81
Section 8 – Bowls 93
Section 9 – Summary and Key Issues to Address 101
Appendices
Appendix A – Supply and Demand Assessment Spreadsheet
Appendix B - National Facilities Strategies
Appendix C - Population Projections
Appendix D – Pitch Quality
Appendix E – Active People and Market Segmentation
Appendix F – Quality of School Sites
Appendix G - AGPs
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 2
1. Introduction
Introduction and Scope
Neil Allen Associates was commissioned in May 2013 to produce a Playing Pitch Assessment and Strategy for
Blackburn with Darwen. The new strategy will update the existing document (2003), and sets out the strategic
direction and site specific priorities for the future delivery of facilities for football, cricket, rugby, hockey and
bowls.
The key drivers for the production of the assessment and strategy are;
The aspiration to understand and promote participation in pitch sports to inform and support the
work, strategies and priorities of the Council as well as sporting organisations that are active in the area
The need to ensure that pitches are effectively managed and maintained and that best uses are made
of reducing resources
The need to provide evidence to help secure external funding
The requirement to provide evidence to inform policy in the emerging local plan, and specifically to
support Site Allocations and Development Management Policies.
This document summarises the key issues arising from the assessment and informs the preparation of the
strategy document (under separate cover). It aims to;
summarise the current supply of playing pitches in Blackburn with Darwen;
outline current demand for facilities and evaluate projected demand up to 2021 and 2026;
evaluate the overall adequacy of provision to meet current and projected future demand;
identify the key issues for the Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Strategy to address.
The strategy will build on the issues identified and set out strategic priorities and actions for delivery.
This assessment report is set out as follows;
Section 2 –Methodology
Section 3 - Context and Participation Profile
Section 4 – Football
Section 5 – Cricket
Section 6 – Rugby
Section 7 – Hockey
Section 8 – Bowls
Section 9 – Summary and Key Issues
02
2. Methodology
This section summarises the methodology that has been used. The methodology is based upon that set
out in ‘Playing Pitch Guidance, An approach to Developing and Delivering a Playing Pitch Strategy (Sport
England 2013).
Figure 2.1 summarises the stages of this methodology. This assessment report represents steps 1 – 6
while the strategy document will include recommendations and an action plan.
Figure 2.1: Developing and Delivering a Playing Pitch Strategy – The 10 Step Approach
The remainder of this section briefly summarises the approach that has been undertaken in the
preparation of this assessment and strategy.
10. Keep the
strategy robust
& up to date
6. Identify the
key findings
& issues
1. Prepare & tailor
the approach
2. Gather
supply
information
and views
3. Gather
demand
information
and views
4. Understand the
situation at
individual sites
5. Develop the
current & future
pictures of
provision
7. Develop the
recommendations
& action plan
8. Write &
adopt the
strategy
9. Apply &
deliver the
strategy
Developing and Delivering
a Playing Pitch Strategy
The 10 Step Approach
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 4
Geographical Analysis
Reflecting the compact nature of the Borough and the geographical proximity of Blackburn and Darwen,
the adequacy of facilities is analysed throughout this assessment at a Borough wide level. The steering
group determined that patterns of pitch usage mean that it is not appropriate to subdivide the area
further.
Steps 2 and 3 – Gather Supply and Demand Information and Views
Supply
The data collection process included a full audit of pitches across Blackburn with Darwen. For each site,
the following information was collected;
Site name, location, ownership and management type
Number and type of pitches
Accessibility of pitches to the community
Overall quality of pitches and ancillary facilities (including maintenance regimes)
Level of protection and security of tenure
Views of users and providers.
Demand
To evaluate the demand for playing pitches in Blackburn with Darwen, the following information was
collated;
Number of sports clubs and teams and their match and training requirements
Casual and other demand
Educational demand
Displaced demand (i.e. teams wishing to play within the borough but unable to)
Latent demand
Future demand (including club and team aspirations for development as well as National
Governing Body priorities and targets)
User views and experiences, including trends and changes in demand.
The following tasks were undertaken to compile the supply and demand information;
analysing the audit of playing fields and open space (2003 PPS and Open Space Assessment) and
the Sport England Active Places tool;
reviewing NGB data on pitches and local participation;
full review of local league websites, fixture lists and pitch booking records;
use of available technical quality assessment reports; and
undertaking non technical site visits
undertaking a detailed survey to all schools(final response 72%)and consultation with other playing
pitch providers;
a full programme of consultation with sports clubs and league secretaries;
engagement with providers of playing pitches;
face to face and telephone discussions with NGBs to discuss key issues and priorities.
A high proportion of teams within the Borough successfully engaged with the process (in part due to the
efforts of local league secretaries and other volunteers) specifically;
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 5
Football – 93%
Cricket – 100%
Rugby Union – 100%
Hockey – 100%.
Steps 4, 5 and 6 – Assessing the Supply and Demand Information and Views
The supply and demand information collated has been used to;
Understand the situation at individual sites
Develop the current and projected future pictures of provision
Identify the key findings and issues that need to be addressed.
Figure 2.2 overleaf, extracted directly from the guidance (Sport England 2013), provides further detail of
the issues explored during the analysis of the adequacy of provision.
Steps 6 - 10 Develop the Strategy and Deliver the Strategy and Keep it Up to Date and Robust
The strategy document for Blackburn with Darwen will use the issues identified to set out a strategic
framework for the provision of pitches across the borough. This will include a detailed action plan which
will be developed in collaboration with key providers and deliverers.
This Assessment
The remainder of this assessment therefore provides an overview of each sport in Blackburn with Darwen
and summarises the issues identified.
Section 3 summarises the demographic and participation profile in sport and physical activity of
residents, as well as their propensity to participate in sport and physical activity. Key population trends
that may influence demand for pitch provision in future years are also considered.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 6
Figure 2.2 – Overview of the Assessment Process
Understand the situation at
individual sites
Develop the current
picture of provision
Develop the future
picture of provision
An overview for each site available to the community should
be developed consisting of:
1. A comparison between the amount of play a site can
accommodate with how much play takes place there;
2. Whether there is any spare capacity during the peak
period for relevant pitch types;
3. The key issues with, and views of, the provision at the
site.
Identify the key findings
and issues
Site overviews should be used to help understand:
1. The situation across all sites available to the community;
2. The situation across only those sites with secured
community use;
3. The nature and extent of play taking place at sites with
unsecured community use;
4. The nature and extent of any displaced, unmet and latent
demand;
5. Key issues raised with the adequacy of provision;
6. The situation at any priority sites.
The current picture of provision and the future demand
information from Stage B should be used to help understand:
1. How population change will affect the demand for
provision;
2. How participation targets and current/future trends may
affect the demand for provision;
3. Whether there are any particular sports clubs or sites
where demand is likely to increase;
4. How any forthcoming changes in supply may affect the
adequacy of provision to meet demand.
The current and future pictures of provision, along with the
site overviews, should be used to answer the following
questions:
1. What are the main characteristics of the current and future
supply of and demand for provision?
2. Is there enough accessible and secured community use
provision to meet current and future demand?
3. Is the provision that is accessible of sufficient quality and
appropriately managed?
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 7
03
3. Population and Sports Participation Profile
Introduction
This section briefly summarises the key policies that impact upon the preparation of this assessment and
strategy and provides an overview of the demographics of the Borough and the impact of this on
demand for pitch sports. It provides an overview only - sport specific issues and participation is discussed
in Sections 4 – 8.
Strategic Context
National Level
At a national level, there are several key policies that impact upon the preparation of this Playing Pitch
Strategy:
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) clearly establishes the requirement that local plans
ensure that there is proper provision of community and cultural facilities to meet local needs. The NPPF’s
expectations for the development of local planning policy for sport and physical activity/recreation, is set
out in paragraphs 73 and 74 which require there to be a sound (i.e. up-to-date and verifiable) evidence
base underpinning policy and its application. Paragraph 73 indicates that
‘Access to high quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and recreation can make an important
contribution to the health and well-being of communities. Planning policies should be based on robust
and up to date assessments of the needs for open space, sports and recreation facilities and
opportunities for new provision. The assessments should identify specific needs and quantitative or
qualitative deficits or surpluses of open space, sports and recreational facilities in the local area.
Information gained from the assessments should be used to determine what open space, sports and
recreational provision is required.’
Paragraph 74 states that
‘Existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, should not be
built on unless:
An assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space, buildings or land to
be surplus to requirements; or
The loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better
provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location; or
The development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the needs for which clearly
outweigh the loss.’
Sport England has been a statutory consultee on planning applications affecting playing pitches since
1996 and has a long established policy of retention, which is the precursor to the National Planning Policy
Framework guidance above. Sport England also advises that informed decisions on playing pitch matters
require all local authorities to have an up to date assessment of need and a strategy emanating from this.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 9
Sport England recommend that a strategy is monitored and updated annually and refreshed every three
years. This assessment will support the Council in implementing a robust strategic approach to the
delivery of pitches across the borough. Sport England’s National Strategy – (2011/12 – 2014/15) and
Youth and Community Strategy (2012 – 2017) both underpin this playing pitch assessment.
National Governing Body Facility Strategies: The Football Association (FA), England and Wales Cricket
Board (ECB), Rugby Football Union (RFU), Rugby Football League (RFL) and England Hockey all set out
strategies guiding the provision of facilities for their specific sport as follows;
The Football Association - National Game Strategy
Grounds to Play – England and Wales Cricket Board Strategic Plan (2010 – 2013)
The Rugby Football Union National Facilities Strategy
Community Rugby League Facilities Strategy
The National Hockey Facility Strategy – The Right Facilities in the Right Places (2012)
Appendix B summarises the key principles of each of these strategic documents.
Local Context
More local to Blackburn with Darwen, the preparation of this Playing Pitch Strategy impacts upon, or is
informed by, a number of key documents including:
Blackburn with Darwen Core Strategy (2011) –sets out the priorities for the future development of the
Borough for the next 15 to 20 years. This strategy sets out a targeted growth strategy, which includes
indicative figures of 9365 additional dwellings up to 2026. This playing pitch assessment and strategy will
inform the emerging local plan, including site allocations and development management policies which
will provide further detail on the principles set out in the core strategy.
Blackburn with Darwen Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2012-2015 – the strategy sets out the
overarching plan through which the public, private, community and voluntary sectors, as well as residents
themselves, will work together to improve health and wellbeing for and with localpeople over the next 3
years. Effective provision of playing pitches will support and promote participation and physical activity
and as a consequence, contribute towards overall objectives of this health and well being strategy.
Population and Sports Participation
An understanding of population trends and overall participation in sport underpins the evaluation of the
adequacy of facilities for football, cricket, rugby, hockey and bowls in later sections. It provides an
understanding of potential participation and latent demand as well as current levels of participation in
sport and physical activity. As such, it provides an important context for playing pitch provision.
This summary of key issues and trends draws on the findings from the Sport England Active People
surveys and Sport England Market Segmentation. The theoretical information summarised in this section
will then be used to inform the sport specific assessments set out in Sections 4 to 9.
Population Profile and Trends
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 10
Appendix C summarises the current population profile and projected changes over the 2013 – 2021
period. This is extracted from data provided by Blackburn with Darwen Council and is based upon the
most up to date population projections that are available.
The key issues arising from analysis of the population profile are that;
there is projected to be an overall increase in population between 2013 and 2021;
nearly a third of the Borough’s population is aged 0 – 20, a comparatively high proportion of the
population. This impacts upon the demand for playing pitches, as it is in these age groups where
the number of participants in pitch sports is highest and demand is therefore focused. The number
of residents aged between 0 and 20 will grow by 2021;
despite the increases in the number of younger people, overall, Blackburn with Darwen has an
ageing population. Almost half of the population growth will occur in residents aged 71 and above
– these residents have a much lower propensity to participate in pitch sports. The number of
residents in age groups that traditionally play pitch sports (6 – 45) will increase from 81903 to
82243, an increase of just 0.5%. Growth in the authority overall will however exceed 2.5%. This
suggests that the proportion of people playing pitch sports is likely to decrease overall, although
the actual number of participants will increase marginally.
Between 2021 and 2026, the total population will increase by an additional 2.16%, generating further
increases in the number of people in age groups that are likely to participate in pitch sports.
In addition, the findings of the 2011 census reveal that Blackburn with Darwen is much more ethnically
diverse than the national average, with 66.5% of the population describing themselves as white, 13% as of
Indian Heritage and 12% as of Pakistani Heritage. Added to this, the age structure of the South Asian
heritage population is considerably younger than the White British population. Ethnic origin is known to
impact upon sporting choice and varying participation rates in different sports means that this may have
particular impact upon future demand. This will be returned to at relevant points within this assessment
report.
Adult Participation in Sport
The Active People Survey (undertaken annually since 2006 by sport England) reveals that there has been
an overall increase in participation from 16.3% (Active People 1) to 20.3% (Active People 7) This increase
overall is statistically significant although it should be noted that there have been some slight fluctuations
in the interim years.
While this level of participation remains lower than neighbouring authorities (with the exception of
Hyndburn) the upward trend in participation suggests that there are strong foundations for building
participation in sport and active recreation.
Profile of Sports Participation in Blackburn with Darwen
Building upon the Active People survey findings (which record participation of adults 16+, and linking
with Mosaic Lifestyle data, Sport England analysed data on the English population (18+) to produce 19
market segments considered to have distinct sporting behaviours and attitudes.
Map 3.1 summarises the market segmentation profile for Blackburn with Darwen. This same information
is also set out in bar chart form (Chart 3.1). It is followed by a description of each of the dominant market
segments in the Borough and their sporting activity profile.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 11
Map 3.1 - Dominant Market Segments by population and location
Chart 3.1 - Dominant Market Segments by Population Total
Chart 3.1 and Map 3.1 demonstrate that;
spatially, the dominant market segments are Tim, Kev and Philip. There are also small pockets of
residents in the Elsie and Arnold categorisation
when considering the dominant segments by population totals, those market segments with the
highest population totals are Kev, Brenda, Elsie and Arnold and Brenda.
The Active People Market Segmentation profile for the most dominant market segments are as follows;
1. Kev has average levels of sports participation. He is a social rather than competitive organised
participant and participates in keep fit and gym. Sports of interest are football (high participation
compared to national levels), cycling, and swimming. Kev may also take part in athletics or running,
golf, angling, badminton, archery or martial arts/combat sports.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 12
2. Brenda is generally less active than the average adult population. Brenda enjoys keep fit,
swimming and cycling but in all cases Brenda’s participation levels are below the national average
for all adults.
3. Elsie & Arnold are much less active than the average adult population, but their activity levels are
consistent with other segments in this age range. They enjoy swimming, keep fit and bowls
4. Tim is a very active type enjoying high intensity activities including team games as well as personal
fitness activities. Tim is more likely than all adults to take part in football and also enjoys cycling,
keep fit, swimming and football.
The segments with the highest participation rates and are most likely to play pitch sports are aged
between 16 – 34 (the first seven market segments from Ben to Alison in chart 3.1). While these groups are
not the most dominant segments within Blackburn with Darwen, there is strong representation in several
of the groups, in particular Jamie and Leanne suggesting that a proportion of the population will be keen
to play sports.
Overall therefore, evidence suggests that pitch sports can and do play an important role in promoting
participation in Blackburn with Darwen. The dominance of some market segments that are not interested
in pitch sports does however serve to highlight the importance of balancing the provision of playing
pitches with the provision of other sporting opportunities.
Summary
Context - Summary and Key issues
The Active People survey suggests that there are therefore strong foundations for the continued
growth in participation in sport and physical activity across the borough
While the population is projected to increase overall (by circa 2.5%) between 2013 and 2021, the
number of people in age groups traditionally playing pitch sports will increase by a much smaller
percentage (0.5%). Total increase in demand for pitch sports therefore will not be in line with
projected increases in the total population;
The population of Blackburn is highly diverse and the age profile of the Asian population is much
younger than other groups which may influence the future picture of demand as well as choice of
sport
not all of the dominant population segments in Blackburn with Darwen are likely to have an
interest in pitch sports. This highlights the need to balance opportunities to play such sports with
other activities.
The remainder of this report draws on the contextual information in this section, and provides an
overview of issues for football, cricket, rugby, hockey and bowls in Blackburn with Darwen.
Section 9 summarises the key issues for the strategy to address
04
4. Football
Introduction
This section assesses the adequacy of pitches for football in Blackburn with Darwen. It includes;
a brief overview of the supply and demand for football
An understanding of activity at individual sites in the borough
A picture of the adequacy of current provision
The future picture of provision for football.
Football in Blackburn with Darwen – An Overview
Pitch Supply
There are 107 individual formal grass football pitches across Blackburn with Darwen. This excludes
facilities for Blackburn Rovers FC, a professional club whose main pitch (Ewood Park) is located within the
borough (although the formal training bases are located outside the borough in Ribble Valley and Pendle
local authorities).
Table 4.1 summarises the breakdown of pitch sizes and also outlines the level of community access that is
available. Site specific detail is provided in Appendix A.
Table 4.1 – Football Pitches across Blackburn with Darwen
Total Pitch
Provision
Pitch Provision
Available to the
Community (Used or
not used)
Pitch Provision
Secured for
Community Use
(used or not used)
Adult Football 35 28 28
Junior Football 34 24 16
9 v 9 10 7 7
7 v 7 26 12 9
5 v 5 2 2 2
Total 107 73 62
It reveals that;
33% of pitches are adult sized while the remainder cater for junior and mini soccer
68% of playing pitches are available for use by the community. Of these, 58% of pitches are
secured for long term community use. Notably, almost all secondary schools have secured
community use and many are managed through Blackburn with Darwen Council, meaning that supply
is coordinated with public facilities. Two of three independent schools / colleges also have secured
community use. All facilities that offer community use currently but without long term security that
this agreement will remain in place are either junior or mini pitches, suggesting that it would be to
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 14
the detriment of the development of junior football should access to these sites no longer be
available. This is a relatively low proportion of school sites but potentially significant
All facilities not available are on school sites – few schools that do not already open their facilities
indicated interest in doing so. The key barriers the poor quality of existing facilities and security
issues. This suggests that there is limited scope to increase the pitch stock further through
community use of school sites, unless these barriers can be addressed
Closed / Potential Sites
There are several pitches /sites that have previously been playing fields but are not currently operating as
such. These are as follows:
Pleasington Playing Fields – one adult football pitch closed (Pitch quality). The remainder of the site
operates as normal. Pitch totals for Pleasington Playing Fields later in this document exclude this
pitch
Crosshills Special School (School closed but field still exists)
Set End Playing Fields – former playing field with potential to reinstate two to three pitches
Crowthorne School – former senior adult football pitch
Fernhurst School (now Free School called the Heights) – small former pitch on adjacent site
Woolridge Playing Fields (former five pitch site)
Square Meadow (potential for two pitches)
Darwen Moorlands School Playing Fields (school closed, potential to provide 1 – 2 pitches)
Former Beardwood School.
These sites may provide opportunities to increase the stock of facilities should a lack of capacity be
identified in the current facility stock.
Ownership and Management
Figure 4.1 illustrates that Blackburn with Darwen Council is the primary owner and manager of football
pitches in the borough. This emphasises the important role that the Council has in enabling football
participation and the particular reliance that football has on public pitches. Notably, almost all of the large
multi pitch sites are managed by the Council and these facilities are used by both adult and junior teams.
While many of the smaller single pitch facilities are leased to clubs, several of whom play at various stages
of the football pyramid, there are comparatively few private facilities although there are several clubs that
have aspirations to manage and maintain their own facilities.
Figure 4.1 – Management of Playing Pitches (Pitches in secured community use only)
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 15
Distribution of Pitches
The compact nature of Blackburn with Darwen means that most pitches are accessible from all areas of
the borough. The facilities managed by the Council in particular are characterised by a small number of
large playing fields (up to 11 adult football pitches). The remaining pitches are primarily single / two pitch
sites in private ownership although there are also some larger club based facilities.
Quality
Pitch quality varies significantly and there are differences in pitch quality within specific sites as well as
across the borough. Overall, 27% of football pitches have been rated as poor and 30% of pitches as good.
Drainage and playing surface are the most frequently occurring issues identified both through on site
evaluation and local consultation.
The quality of pitches is noticeably lower at sites managed by Blackburn with Darwen Council than other
providers. This has a particular impact because as noted earlier, football is particularly reliant upon
Council pitches. There are several issues contributing to the quality concerns which will be discussed later.
The quality of changing accommodation is similarly varying although it is noticeable that on the whole it
is the smaller sites where the quality of changing accommodation is poor. There are very few sites do not
have changing accommodation at all.
Map 4.1 illustrates the scale and distribution of football pitches, while Map 4.2 provides an understanding
of their quality, providing an understanding of areas of highest concern. Specific quality ratings and issues
established for each pitch are summarised in Appendix D.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 16
Map 4.1 – Scale of Pitch Provision
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 17
Map 4.2 – Football Pitch Quality
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 18
Views on Pitch Quality
Reflecting the varying quality ratings awarded, quality emerged as the key issue during consultations.
Figure 4.2 indicates that it is public pitches where the greatest issues are experienced. A higher proportion
of clubs renting pitches believe that quality is deteriorating, while the majority of clubs that believe
pitches are improving have their own facilities.
Figure 4.2 – Perceived Trends in Pitch Quality
Clubs are most concerned about maintenance regimes, grass length and the evenness of the pitches, as
well as issues with match cancellations arising from drainage. The views of providers generally accord with
this. Pitch drainage is perhaps the key concern. This issue is recognised throughout the football
community of Blackburn as having significant impact upon the quality of pitches and consequently on
their capacity to sustain play. Added to this, most pitches at school sites that have secured community
use but are currently unavailable are suffering from drainage problems.
Figure 4.3 illustrates the perception of clubs relating to quality of pitches and provides insight into the
reasons for views outlined in Figure 4.2. Interestingly, it indicates that maintenance is the only area that
more clubs consider to be poor than standard or good, suggesting that this is as big a concern as the
impact of poor drainage.
Figure 4.3 – Club Perceptions of Quality
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Much better Slightly better No difference Slightly poorer Much poorer
Num
ber o
f Cl
ubs
Perception
Perceived Trends in Qua lity
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 19
League secretaries and clubs are so concerned about the maintenance of pitches that they have formed a
football development group to address the issue. They (and users of pitches) attribute quality issues at
pitches to a limited maintenance regime and there is a perception that this is causing deterioration of
pitch quality, cancellations and closure of pitches. Concerns in particular relate to Pleasington Playing
Fields, Pleckgate Playing Fields and specific private sites.
The maintenance regimes afforded to playing pitches vary considerably from basic programmes of
cutting grass and line marking, to more in depth programmes including chain harrowing, vertidraining
and fertilising at a cost of £5000 per pitch. Pitches that are of higher quality are generally those where
there is a higher maintenance budget and often, a dedicated groundsman.
The maintenance programme at Council owned and managed pitches is much more reactive and limited
than that applied at private sites and is also constrained by the dual use of sites (Blacksnape Playing
Fields and Pleasington Playing Fields) for both football and cricket (which restricts out of season
reinstatement) as well as greater levels of unofficial use. Consultation clearly demonstrated that both
clubs and providers believe that overplay of many pitches intensifies the issues raised in relation to poor
maintenance and causes a deterioration in pitch quality over the season. Pitches are not maintained to a
level where they can sustain the number of games that some sites are required to do. Providers identify
concerns that if maintenance programmes are not improved, the benefits of any capital investment that is
injected to address issues at pitch sites will not be maximised. In some cases, poor maintenance is the
primary cause of the poor pitch conditions.
While changing facilities were identified as being in need of improvement on some sites (primarily small
sites and Pleasington Playing Fields) most users and providers felt this to be secondary to the quality
issues identified with pitches.
Demand
Active People and Market Segmentation (Sport England)
The Sport England Active People Survey and Market Segmentation data (explained in Section 3) reveals
that football is the most popular pitch sport in Blackburn with Darwen. Full details are summarised in
Appendix E, but the key messages arising are;
the key participants in football in Blackburn with Darwen are those that are nationally are most
likely to play (Jamie, Kev, Ben and Tim). Participation is geographically even, except in Feniscowles
where levels of play are slightly lower. There is limited participation by female groups
analysis of latent demand suggests that there is potential to increase participation by 17%. The
latent demand is from residents in the same market segments as those that currently play and is
geographically even. Despite low levels of participation, there is limited interest in playing football
from female residents.
The Active people survey analysis provides an indication of participation only. Data on competitive play
provides greater detail on those regularly engaging in match play.
Current Participation – Match Play
Football participation is strong across the borough and clubs are geographically evenly dispersed. Table
4.2 summarises the number of teams and indicates that while there are strong participation rates for
males, the junior and senior female game is less well established. Furthermore, 65% of teams are made
up of residents aged 16 and below meaning that demand for junior and mini pitches is higher than for
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 20
adult pitches. 67% of pitches are for teams aged 16 and below, suggesting that supply and demand are
well balanced.
Table 4.2 – Football Teams in Blackburn with Darwen*
Sport and Age Groups
Number of teams
in age group within
the area
Football Adult Men (16-45yrs) 73
Football Adult Women (16-45yrs) 4
Football Youth Boys (10-15yrs) 69
Football Youth Girls (10-15yrs) 11
Football Mini Soccer Mixed (6-9yrs) 60
*excludes small sided football, teams at Blackburn Rovers FC and teams playing in orphanage cup annually
Recent Trends in Participation
There has been significant decline in adult football in recent years and this is reflected in FA affiliation
data. By way of illustration, the Blackburn Combination used to have 5 divisions but now has only two. In
contrast, the East Lancashire Youth Alliance has seen a 30% increase – demand for junior football is
continuing to grow although participation has temporarily steadied. Football pitch provision has been
adjusted to reflect these trends, but their impact on future demand should also be considered
54% of responding football clubs have static membership numbers while 14% have experienced decline.
Much of this decline is attributable to movement between clubs rather than an overall loss of teams,
however it is noticeable that drop off is experienced at the point of transfer from junior to adult games,
suggesting that there is a need to improve this transition. Almost all large clubs with junior teams are now
however running adult teams, potentially promoting a reverse in this trend. This is also a target area for
the Lancashire FA and there are several initiatives underway across the county designed to promote
participation in U16, U18 and u21 age groups and to ensure that players are retained into adult football.
Almost all mini and junior teams are part of large clubs and most contain five or more teams. According
to FA data, 81.6% of youth and mini teams play in a club that had achieved charter standard status. This
compares favourably to national averages and suggests that there is a strong club infrastructure.
There are lower levels of participation in the Asian population than in other groups, indicating that there
is particular scope to grow the game further.
Training Needs
Over 90% of clubs that schedule formal training sessions use Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs) of varying
sizes. While almost all junior clubs train at least once per week, a lower proportion of adult teams train
(although many play in 5 a side leagues midweek). Some teams train on grass during the summer months
but there are no floodlit grass training facilities for use during winter. Pitches cannot be booked for
training (although it is known that the occasional ad hoc training sessions take place against regulations).
Training therefore has limited impact on grass pitches, but large numbers of community teams wish to
use AGPs to accommodate their needs.
Educational Demand
The majority of schools have their own playing fields. Not all schools mark out their playing field area as
formal pitches, but most have the capacity to do. As a result, there is little use of community pitches by
schools.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 21
There are just five schools that use external pitches and therefore impact upon the availability of facilities
for community use. Most notably, these include use of Feniscowles War Memorial Ground (Feniscowles
Primary School), Pleckgate Playing Fields (St Gabriels) and 2 pitches at Blacksnape Playing Fields (Darwen
Aldridge Academy) that are reserved solely for the use of the school.
Curricular use of school pitches reduces capacity to sustain community use. Pleckgate High School, St
Bedes RC High School, Blackburn Central High School, Darwen Vale High School, Witton Park High School
and Griffin Park Primary School are all community resources as well as school sites.
11 schools believe that their current pitch stock does not meet their curricular requirements. Almost all of
these believe that provision is inadequate because they either have limited facilities, or the quality is poor
on the facilities that they have. In particular, several of the secondary schools based on new sites highlight
the importance of upgrading their pitch provision to ensure that facilities are in a useable condition.
Darwen Vale High School, St Bedes RC High School and Witton Park High School are amongst the schools
indicating that pitch provision does not meet their needs (all new schools with facilities secured for
community use).
Appendix A and F summarise the views of schools in more detail and provides a list of those schools that
are not satisfied with their existing provision.
Casual Demand
Most of the playing fields also function as public recreational areas. This impacts upon the quality of
some pitches, particularly with regards dog fouling. During the football season, the use is not sufficiently
extensive to reduce pitch capacity of pitches.
Other Issues relating to pitch supply and demand
Other issues raised impacting upon pitch provision include;
Sustainability: almost all providers (both public and private) express concerns about the cost of
appropriate maintenance regimes and the sustainability of continuing to operate current (and / or
improved) maintenance regimes. If this is not addressed, the amount and quality of pitches in Blackburn
may deteriorate.
Cost: The majority of pitches that can be rented are hired from the Council and pitch charges are
consistent at all sites, including school facilities. Pitch charges vary according to the pitch size from £36.90
(adult pitch) to £10.57 (mini pitch). These prices are competitive and much lower than national average
prices. They are however higher than the neighbouring authority of Hyndburn. No issues were raised with
the price of pitch hire of grass pitches per se, although some comments were made that the quality of
pitches means that pitch hire charges do not represent value for money. Pitches at school sites not
managed by the Council (St Mary’s College for example) are slightly higher than those at Council sites,
although are better quality. While cost was not directly raised in relation to grass pitches, consultation did
demonstrate that clubs are relatively price sensitive. Cost was however viewed as a major barrier to the
use of AGPs - 7 clubs raised this directly and several more clubs hold the perception that there are not
enough training facilities available at acceptable prices.
Security of Tenure and Aspirations for Self Management: Reflecting the strong club structure across
Blackburn with Darwen, several clubs expressed an interest in securing new provision, managing their
own sites and growing a club base.
Many clubs already lease pitches from Blackburn with Darwen Council and no issues have been identified
with security of tenure currently, although Mill Hill FC only have 12 years remaining on their current lease.
The peppercorn rent for use of Gary Hamer Memorial Playing Fields is also currently being reviewed.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 22
Adequacy of Pitch Provision – Assessing Supply and Demand information and Views
Both the adequacy of pitch provision to meet demand is measured both over the course of a week and at
peak time using match equivalents.
Weekly capacity: is based upon the quality of the pitch and the consequential number of matches that it
can sustain per week (using FA guidelines). Table 4.3 summarises the guidelines used with regards pitch
capacity.
Table 4.3 – Capacity based upon Pitch Quality
Peak Time Demand: The local leagues all have specific kick off times and while these are flexible to a
degree, it is important that there are enough pitches available when people wish to use them. Peak time
in Blackburn for football is as follows;
Senior Football – Saturday Afternoon (49%)
Junior Football – Sunday morning (52%)
9 v 9 Football – Sunday morning (100%)
Mini soccer – Sunday morning (66%)
Pitches can only be considered to have spare capacity at peak time when they are not already utilised to
their full capacity over the course of a week. An adult pitch that is not used on a Saturday afternoon
(Boroughwide peak time), but is used three times per week at other times (Sunday morning, Sunday
afternoon and midweek for example) would not be considered able to sustain additional play at peak
time, even though no one would be using the facility then, as this would be detrimental to the quality of
the pitch.
Situation at Individual Sites
Table 4.4 provides a summary of the activity that takes place at each site that has community use in
Blackburn with Darwen. It sets out the current supply and demand and outlines whether the pitch is being
overplayed, played to the appropriate level or is able to sustain additional fixtures. Any other issues
arising with the site are also briefly summarised.
Further detail, including full details of teams playing at each site can be found in Appendix A. It should be
noted that where teams do not have a set home ground, assumptions have been made based upon
consultation in order to provide as accurate a picture as possible of play at each site.
Issues will be explored by pitch type in later sections, however the key issues emerging from site
overviews are as follows;
Agreed pitch quality rating Adult Football Youth Football Mini Soccer
Number of match equivalent sessions a week
Good 3 4 6
Standard 2 2 4
Poor 1 1 2
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 23
There are few sites with significant amounts of spare capacity. Many sites that do have spare
capacity are either sites serving clubs in the pyramid or small sites. St Marys College (a site that is
relatively newly available and that is of high quality) is the clear exception to this, with scope to
accommodate further play. In contrast, much of the overplay is associated with large clubs with
multiple teams
The majority of play takes place on pitches that are the right size for the age group of the team
Reflecting the reliance upon Council pitch venues, there is relatively limited spare capacity,
particularly at peak times (reflecting the use of these pitches for grassroots football). Blacksnape
Playing Fields (less attractive due to location and becoming restricted by poor drainage),
Greenfields Community Centre and Witton Park are the only venues with any spare capacity
The strong demand at peak time is responsible for much spare capacity over the course of the
week, with heavy use of sites on one day and limited use outside the peak period
Quality of sites impacts overall capacity significantly, with many large venues having reduced
capacity to sustain matches. Pleasington Playing Fields is a particular example of this. It is felt on
the whole that in many cases, the maintenance regime is as responsible for the poor quality of
pitches as overall pitch condition
There is little reliance upon unsecured sites, with all sites available for community use without a
formal agreement receiving little or no community use.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment
24
Table 4.4 – Site Specific Usage at each site (community sites that are available regardless of whether they are used or not)
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
Anchor Ground
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
1 3 1.5 1.5
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1.5 0
High quality pitch site including stand,
dug outs and turnstiles suitable for use by
teams in the football pyramid. At capacity
on a Saturday afternoon, when the
majority of football at this level takes
place. Scope for additional play to take
place on a Sunday or during the week.
Also used for cup finals etc. Lower levels
of use help retention of quality.
Avondale
Primary School
Unsecured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
2 1 0 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 1
Pitch currently standard to poor and
although improvements have been made,
further investment would be required to
ensure that site can sustain extra
curricular activities. With two junior
pitches, site offers potential as a
community use venue.
Blackburn
Central High
School
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
1 0 0 0
Being played
to the level
that the site
can sustain
0 0
Site opened for 2013 - 2014 season.
Current curricular need means that
community use would exceed capacity
levels. Opening of new pitches should
allow community use.
Blacksnape
Playing Fields
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
1 2 1 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
1 1
Scope for increased usage of adult
pitches but junior pitches overplayed.
Changing accommodation good, but site
exposed and therefore less popular with
local teams. Quality of pitches varies
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 25
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
play across the site. Some pitches on site have
recently started holding water. Quality of
pitches perceived to be influenced by the
amount of maintenance that is
undertaken in comparison to the play that
is sustained. Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
2 4 8 -4 Being
overplayed 0 0
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll 9v9
2 4 2 2
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
2 0.5
Corporation
Park
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
1 1 0 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 1
No use of site currently and as a
consequence, site has not been marked
out as formal playing fields. No changing
or toilet provision is available which
makes site less attractive to users.
Darwen Vale
High School
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
1 0 0 1
Being played
to the level
the site can
sustain
0 0
Quality of pitches inhibits use of pitches
and capacity for community use. Drainage
problems require significant investment
and pitches not currently usable for
curricular or extra curricular use.
Significant potential for community use if
pitch condition was to be improved - full
community use agreement exists and
changing accommodation is available.
Everton Playing
Fields
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
1 4 1.5 2.5
Potentially
able to
accommodat
2.5 0.5
Good quality pitch site with recent
investment into drainage and changing
accommodation - maintenance and
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 26
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
11v11 e some
additional
play
management of site recently taken over
by East Lancs Youth Alliance. All play at
the site is from teams in the East Lancs
Youth Alliance and there is high demand
at peak time, although kick offs are
staggered. Some capacity for additional
play based on number of times pitches
are used, although additional capacity
more limited than weekly capacity
suggests due to programming of fixtures.
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll 9v9
2 8 2.5 5.5
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
5.5 1 Good quality pitch site with recent
investment into drainage and changing
accommodation - maintenance and
management of site recently taken over
by East Lancs Youth Alliance. All play at
the site is from teams in the East Lancs
Youth Alliance and there is high demand
at peak time, although kick offs are
staggered. Some capacity for additional
play based on number of times pitches
are used, although additional capacity
more limited than weekly capacity
suggests due to programming of fixtures.
Secured
Community
Use
Mini
Footba
ll 5v5
2 12 4 8
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
8 1
Secured
Community
Use
Mini
Footba
ll 7v7
4 24 7 17
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
17 4
Gary Hamer
Memorial Fields
- Old
Blackburnians
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
2 4 2 2
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
2 0
Adult pitches at capacity on Saturday
afternoon but not used outside this time.
Ability to accommodate further use
impacted upon by poor drainage and
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 27
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
additional
play
pitch condition, which limits the overall
capacity of the site . Pitch quality is
deteriorating and investment is required
in both in capital projects and to meet
ongoing maintenance requirements.
Changing accommodation poor and
impacting upon attractiveness of site. Secured
Community
Use
Mini
Footba
ll 7v7
2 4 3 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 0.5
Greenfield
Community
Centre
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
1 2 0.5 1.5
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1.5 1
Pitch condition now average. Changing
accommodation available in the
community centre. Overall site is
functional and has potential to
accommodate further use.
Mill Hill St
Peters Football
Club
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
1 3 2 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 0
Well maintained and good quality facility
accommodating semi-professional
football club. Site well used and
approaching capacity -no availability at
peak times. Club lease expires in 2023 -
only 12 years remaining. Club includes
multiple junior teams that all play away
from this main home ground.
Old Boltonians
AFC
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
2 4 2.5 1.5
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1.5 0
Recent drainage improvements. There is
high demand at peak time and both
pitches are at capacity at this time. There
is a potential ability to accommodate
further play outside peak time but it
should also be noted that some training
does on occasion take place on the pitch.
There is therefore a small amount of
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 28
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
scope for club growth at this site.
Our Lady of
Perpetual
Succour RC
Primary School
Unsecured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
1 1 0 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 1 Recent investment into pitches mean that
facilities are able to sustain a small
amount of community use in addition to
curricular requirements. Limited interest
however shown from clubs and there is
no changing accommodation available on
site
Our Lady of
Perpetual
Succour RC
Primary School
N/A
Mini
Footba
ll 7v7
1 1 0 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 1
Pleasington
Playing Fields
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
11 17 18 -1 Being
overplayed 0 0
Pitches overplayed. Poor quality has a
significant impact upon the capacity of
pitches. Several pitches out of use due to
emergency repair work and further work
is required to bring pitches to required
standard -this compromises ability to
fulfill fixtures, as well as the enjoyment
and safety of players. Issues include poor
drainage, uneven pitches and poor
maintenance and there are concerns that
heavy levels of use will see pitch condition
deteriorate further. Potential of site is not
currently being fulfilled and many pitches
are poor but are used twice a week as
well as recreationally. Also used for
festivals and cricket - limited opportunity
for repair and maintenance work. Poor
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 29
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
maintenance thought to be key
contributing factor to quality issues.
Pleckgate
Playing Fields
(Pleckgate High
School)
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
2 2 2 0
Being played
to the level
the site can
sustain
0 0
Capacity of pitches limited by both quality
and requirement to sustain curricular use
as well as community need. Two pitches
identified as poor and in need of
significant maintenance upgrade. School
are concerned about the impact of
community use on the overall demand for
facilities. High peak time demand. Current
maintenance regimes are reactive only.
Pleckgate
Playing Fields
(Pleckgate High
School)
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
3 3 4 -1 Being
overplayed 0 0
Queen
Elizabeth's
Grammar
School Playing
Fields (QEGS)
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
1 2 3 -1 Being
overplayed 0 0
High quality with new changing
accommodation means that it is attractive
to users. Taking into account school use
of the facility, pitches are at capacity.
Accrington Stanley FC also use pitches for
training so although there is capacity at
peak time, additional usage could not be
sustained.
Queen
Elizabeth's
Grammar
School Playing
Fields (QEGS)
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
3 6 6 0
Being played
to the level
the site can
sustain
0 0
Roe Lee Park
Primary School
Unsecured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
1 1 0.5 0.5
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
0.5 1
Pitch relatively good quality, but
additional use at peak time (over and
above one match equivalent) as well as
current community and curricular activity
may start to compromise pitch provision.
Roman Road
Community
Pitch
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
1 2 2.5 -0.5 Being
overplayed 0 0
Pitch well used but of deteriorating
quality. Drainage / maintenance issues
may impact upon the capacity of the site
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 30
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
if quality issues are not resolved due to
the high levels of use. There is interest
from community teams in leasing this site.
Saint Francis C
of E Primary
School
Unsecured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
1 1 0 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 1 School pitch available for use but not
currently used. Offers limited potential
St Bedes RC
High School
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
1 0 0 0
Being played
to the level
the site can
sustain
0 0
Pitch condition inhibits ability to sustain
community fixtures. Requires new
drainage (or maintenance tailored to the
pitch) to enable additional use on site.
St James
Church of
England
Primary School
Unsecured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
11v11
1 1 0 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 1
Site offers limited potential but is not
currently used by the community and is
available. No changing accommodation
St Luke & St
Philip’s CE
Primary School
N/A
Mini
Footba
ll 7v7
1 1 0 1
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
1 1
Site offers limited potential but is not
currently used by the community and is
available. No changing accommodation is
available.
St Mary's
College
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
3 6 2.5 3.5
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
4.5 2.5
Facility good quality with dedicated
groundsman. Some issues with drainage
that may impact on capacity if
overplayed. Layout of changing
accommodation means that junior
fixtures cannot be played at same time as
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 31
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
senior matches. Junior teams also use
senior pitches at this site. Scope to
increase use
Turton Football
Club
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
1 2 2 0
Being played
to the level
the site can
sustain
0 0
Team play in the league pyramid (Steps
11 - 13). Drainage systems have recently
collapsed and this is starting to impact on
capacity. Without intervention, pitch
quality may decline. Remaining teams
from club displaced into neighbouring
authority (pitches actually nearer than
using facilities in Blackburn). Longer term,
lack of facilities may impact upon club
growth.
Witton Country
Park
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll 9v9
1 2 2
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
2 2 Important site for mini football,
particularly for teams playing outside of
the East Lancs Youth Alliance League (and
therefore not using Everton Playing
Fields). Capacity to accommodate
additional play at peak time due to play in
the Accrington league being off peak.
Pitches adequate in terms of quality
Witton Country
Park
Secured
Community
Use
Mini
Footba
ll 7v7
2 8 5 3
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
3 0.5
Witton Park
High School
Business &
Enterprise
College
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll 11 v
11
1 0 0 0
Being played
to the level
the site can
sustain
0 0
New pitch. Drainage is already a problem
and no community use possible. New
pitches are currently being prepared and
are anticipated to open in 2014.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 32
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
Branch Road
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll 11 v
11
1 2 3 -1 Being
overplayed 0 0
Pitch quality average but pitches heavily
used. Lack of changing accommodation
Sandy Lane
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll 9v9
1 2 1.5 0.5
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
0.5 0.5 Used interchangeably with Branch Road,
site has improved significantly in terms of
quality. Scope to increase use by 9 v 9
teams - additional teams likely to require
this pitch next year as 2 age groups will
play 9 v 9. Also used for cricket Sandy Lane
Secured
Community
Use
Mini
Footba
ll 7v7
1 4 1 3
Potentially
able to
accommodat
e some
additional
play
3 1
War Memorial
Recreation
Ground
(Feniscowles
Sports and
Social Club)
Secured
Community
Use
Adult
Footba
ll
1 2 2 0
Being played
to the level
the site can
sustain
0 0 Important multi sport venue
accommodating large and growing
football club. Pitches laid out in response
to fixtures played and pitch type capacity
is therefore challenging. Overall pitch site
is heavily used. Also has recreational
usage and cricket in summer. Limited
scope for club growth and heavy use may
impact upon quality. Club seeking
additional land
War Memorial
Recreation
Ground
(Feniscowles
Sports and
Social Club)
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
(11v11)
1 2 4.5 -2.5 Being
overplayed 0 0
War Memorial
Recreation
Ground
(Feniscowles
Secured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll 9v9
1 2 4.5 -2.5 Being
overplayed 0 0
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 33
Site Name Access Pitch
Type
No of
Pitche
s
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Total
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Extent of
any Spare
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
During the
Peak
Period
Key Issues and Views
Sports and
Social Club)
Griffin Park
Community
Primary School
Unsecured
Community
Use
Junior
Footba
ll
(11v11)
1 1 2.5 -1.5 Being
overplayed 0 0
When considering pitch usage by club, as
well as the school, the facility is at
capacity and is unable to sustain any
further use.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment
34
Current Picture
The site overviews set out in Table 4.4, as well as data collated in Appendix A, enable the development of
an overall picture of provision across the authority for each type of football pitch. Table 4.5 summarises
the use and spare capacity at adult football pitches.
Table 4.5 - Adult Football Pitches
Site Name
Current
Carrying
Capacity
Current
Community
Use
Difference Comparison
Spare capacity
for community
use (total)
Spare capacity for
community use
(in the peak
period)
Anchor Ground 3 1.5 1.5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
1.5 0
Blacksnape Playing
Fields 2 1 1
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
1 1
Gary Hamer
Memorial Fields - Old
Blackburnians
4 2 2
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
2 0
Greenfield
Community Centre 2 0.5 1.5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
1.5 1
Mill Hill St Peters
Football Club 3 2 1
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
1 0
Old Boltonians AFC 4 2.5 1.5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
1.5 0
Pleasington Playing
Fields 17 18 -1 Being overplayed 0 0
Pleckgate Playing
Fields (Pleckgate
High School)
2 2 0 Being played to the level
the site can sustain 0 0
Queen Elizabeth's
Grammar School
Playing Fields (QEGS)
2 3 -1 Being overplayed 0 0
Roman Road
Community Pitch 2 2.5 -0.5 Being overplayed 0 0
St Mary's College 6 2.5 3.5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
3.5 2.5
Turton Football Club 2 2 0 Being played to the level
the site can sustain 0 0
War Memorial
Recreation Ground
(Feniscowles Sports
and Social Club)
2 2 0 Being played to the level
the site can sustain 0 0
Table 4.5 reveals that overall, across Blackburn with Darwen, there is some spare capacity at adult football
pitches. This is equivalent to 9.5 match equivalent sessions per week (there is a total spare capacity of 12
match equivalents, but a total overplay of 2.5 match equivalents).
In more detail;
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 35
Eight sites have spare capacity totalling 12 match equivalents, specifically St Marys College,
Blacksnape Playing Fields, Anchor Ground, Mill Hill St Peters, Old Boltonians. Gary Hamer Memorial
Fields and Greenfield Community Centre. Of this spare capacity;
o a quarter of the match equivalents (3.5) are located at St Marys College, situated in north
Blackburn. This is a high quality site with a dedicated groundsman. Pitch hire is slightly more
expensive than that at Council sites and this may influence usage of the facility. Indeed most
of the usage that takes place at this site currently is junior fixtures (using adult pitches). The
pitches are also used by the College during the week and so capacity for community use is
reduced
o With the exception of Greenfield Community Centre, all other sites with spare capacity are
club based facilities operating in the football pyramid and use of the facilities is therefore
restricted
o Greenfield Community Centre is the only public pitch that has spare capacity. This site is
currently an acceptable quality facility with changing accommodation. There are no clear
reasons for the lack of use of the facility
Four sites are being played to the level that they can sustain. It should be noted however that;
o Pleckgate Playing Fields has more limited capacity due to poor quality pitches. Turton
Football Club have also recently begun to experience quality issues with their site
There is overplay equivalent to 2.5 match equivalents per week at three sites – Roman Road Playing
Fields, Pleasington Playing Fields and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School.
o Pleasington Playing Fields is the largest site and the focus for the majority of adult football
activity. The capacity of the site is however limited by the poor quality of pitches and more
activity is currently taking place than the pitches are able to sustain given the levels of
maintenance and quality issues experienced
o In contrast, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School is a high quality site with good football pitches.
The school partner with Blackburn Community Sports Club and the pitches are also used by
Accrington Stanley FC for training
o Roman Road is a popular single pitch public site on the edge of the urban area and there are
no clear reasons for the high level of demand for this site.
While there are 9.5 match equivalent slots available across the week, there is more limited
availability at peak time for adult football (Saturday afternoon) with just 4.5 match equivalent slots
available
o 2.5 of these slots are at St Marys College, which is used primarily on a Sunday morning.
Additional matches could be hosted on a Saturday
o The remaining slots are available at Blacksnape Playing Fields and Greenfield Community
Centre. Although one of the higher quality public playing fields, Blacksnape Playing Fields is
less attractive to users due to its exposed location. The pitches on this site have also recently
started to hold water
For adult football therefore, provision is relatively constrained, particularly at public sites and the majority
of spare capacity is focused on a small number of private sites (most notably St Marys College). Pitch
capacity of adult pitches is clearly impacted by poor quality pitches, with the capacity of several large sites
reduced to reflect quality issues experienced.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 36
All of the above pitches are secured for community use and there are therefore no issues with regards
access to unsecured pitches relating to adult football.
Junior Football
Table 4.6 summarises the use and spare capacity at junior football pitches.
Table 4.6 – Capacity at Junior Football Pitches
Site Name
Commu
nity use
category
Communit
y Use
Category
Current
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Current
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Spare
capacity
for
communit
y use
(total)
Spare
capacity
for
communit
y use
(in the
peak
period)
Blackburn
Central High
School
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use and
used
0 0 0
Being played
to the level the
site can sustain
0 0
Blacksnape
Playing Fields
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use and
used
4 8 -4 Being
overplayed 0 0
Everton
Playing Fields
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use and
used
4 1.5 2.5
Potentially able
to
accommodate
some
additional play
2.5 0.5
Pleckgate
Playing Fields
(Pleckgate
High School)
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use and
used
3 4 -1 Being
overplayed 0 0
Queen
Elizabeth's
Grammar
School
Playing Fields
(QEGS)
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use and
used
6 6 0
Being played
to the level the
site can sustain
0 0
St Bedes RC
High School
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use and
used
0 0 0
Being played
to the level the
site can sustain
0 0
Branch Road
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use and
used
2 3 -1 Being
overplayed 0 0
War Memorial
Recreation
Ground
(Feniscowles
Sports and
Social Club)
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use and
used
2 4.5 -2.5 Being
overplayed 0 0
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 37
Site Name
Commu
nity use
category
Communit
y Use
Category
Current
Carrying
Capacity
for
Communit
y Use
Current
Communit
y Use
Differenc
e Comparison
Spare
capacity
for
communit
y use
(total)
Spare
capacity
for
communit
y use
(in the
peak
period)
Our Lady of
Perpetual
Succour RC
Primary
School
Unsecure
d
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use but
unused
1 0 1
Potentially able
to
accommodate
some
additional play
1 1
Roe Lee Park
Primary
School
Unsecure
d
Commun
ity Use
Available
and used 1 0.5 0.5
Potentially able
to
accommodate
some
additional play
0.5 1
Saint Francis C
of E Primary
School
Unsecure
d
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use but not
used
1 0 1
Potentially able
to
accommodate
some
additional play
1 1
St James
Church of
England
Primary
School
Unsecure
d
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use but
unused
1 0 1
Potentially able
to
accommodate
some
additional play
1 1
Griffin Park
Community
Primary
School
Unsecure
d
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
Community
Use
1 2.5 -1.5 Being
overplayed 0 0
Avondale
Primary
School
Unsecure
d
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use but
unused
1 0 1
Potentially able
to
accommodate
some
additional play
1 1
Corporation
Park
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use but
unused
1 0 1
Potentially able
to
accommodate
some
additional play
1 1
Darwen Vale
High School
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use but not
used
0 0 0
Being played
to the level the
site can sustain
0 0
Witton Park
High School
Business &
Enterprise
College
Secured
Commun
ity Use
Available
for
community
use but
unused
0 0 0
Being played
to the level the
site can sustain
0 0
Table 4.6 reveals that overall, there is no spare capacity at junior (11 v 11) football pitches. Although there
are 8 match equivalent sessions per week available, the total overplay is equivalent to 10 match
equivalent sessions.
In more detail;
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 38
Six sites have spare capacity totalling 6 match equivalents, specifically Corporation Park, Avondale
Primary School, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour RC Primary School, Roe Lee Park Primary School, Saint
Francis C of E Primary School, St James Church of England Primary School and Everton Playing Fields.
Of this spare capacity;
o two thirds is located at primary school sites where facilities are currently available but not
being used
o Corporation Park has not been requested by any clubs for this season
o the only other site with spare capacity is Everton Playing fields. This site is leased by the East
Lancashire Youth League from the Council and is a popular venue for junior and mini soccer.
Pitch quality is good and there is some capacity to increase play. The management of this site
by the league however means that activity is focused onto one day (in line with league rules)
and it is primarily for this reason that there is spare capacity across the week
Five sites are being played to the level that they can sustain. It should be noted however that while
in theory pitches at St Bedes RC High School, Darwen Vale High School, Blackburn Central School and
Witton Park High School are available for the community, there is currently no capacity for
community use due as the quality of pitches means that sites are only able to sustain curricular
requirements (most of these are the new BSF school sites). Queens Park Grammar School is the only
site used to optimum levels that is actually sustaining community use currently. Quality of provision is
therefore significantly impacting upon available capacity in this instance
Overplay equivalent to 10 match equivalents per week is focused at five sites;
o Pleckgate Playing Fields and Blacksnape Playing Fields are the most popular public venues for
junior football. Pleckgate Playing Fields in particular however suffers from poor quality, which
limits the capacity of the site and Blacksnape Playing Fields have also recently started to hold
water. Maintenance issues are thought to contribute to this poor quality.
o Branch Road and Feniscowles and Pleasington Recreation Ground are both home to large
clubs (Darwen Rangers and Feniscowles and Pleasington respectively) that focus all play onto
these sites
o Griffin Park Community Primary School hosts several teams from Blackburn Eagles. The site
has relatively limited facilities and high number of teams at the club, coupled with curricular
activity, means that the site is overplayed
There is limited spare capacity available at peak time, with just 6.5 match equivalent slots available.
o There is spare capacity equivalent to 0.5 match equivalents at Everton Playing Fields and 1
match equivalent at Corporation Park
o The remaining slots at peak time are all at primary schools that are not currently used at all.
Relocation of teams playing on sites currently at capacity would significantly reduce this.
Impact of unsecured community use arrangements
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour RC Primary School, Roe Lee Park Primary School, Saint Francis C of E
Primary School, St James Church of England Primary School, Avondale Primary School and Griffin Park
Community Primary School are not secured for community use and access could therefore be removed
from these sites at any time.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 39
Excluding these facilities from analysis; spare capacity reduces overall to 2.5 match equivalents. Taking
into account there is overplay of 8.5, there are not enough pitches on balance and spare capacity at peak
time is reduced to just 1.5 matches.
Added to this, 3.5 match equivalent sessions per week take place on unsecured pitches and would need
to be accommodated if these pitches were no longer available. There would not be capacity within the
current secured pitch stock to do this.
In reality, only Griffin Park Community School and Roe Lee Park Primary School are actually used by clubs.
All overplay and other activity is focused on club bases and public pitches that are secured by community
use. The loss of unsecured pitches would however remove the opportunity to relocate teams.
9 v 9 Pitches
Table 4.7 summarises the use and spare capacity at 9 v 9 football pitches.
Table 4.7 – 9 v 9 Football Pitches
Site Name
Current
Carrying
Capacity for
Community
Use
Current
Community
Use
Difference Comparison
Spare capacity
for
community
use (total)
Spare capacity
for
community
use (in
the peak
period)
Blacksnape
Playing Fields 4 2 2
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
2 0.5
Everton Playing
Fields 8 2.5 5.5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
5.5 1
Witton Country
Park 2 2
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
2 2
Sandy Lane 2 1.5 0.5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
0.5 0.5
War Memorial
Recreation
Ground
(Feniscowles
Sports and
Social Club)
2 4.5 -2.5 Being overplayed 0 0
Overall, across Blackburn with Darwen, there is the equivalent of 10 match equivalent slots available at 9 v
9 football pitches. Overplay is however equivalent to 2.5, meaning that there is total spare capacity of 7.5
on balance.
In more detail;
All sites have spare capacity except War Memorial Recreation Ground (Feniscowles and Pleasington
FC) where overplay is equivalent to 2.5. This site is host to a large football club and junior pitches are
also overplayed.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 40
The majority of spare capacity is located at Everton Playing Fields (5.5 match equivalents).
Blacksnape Playing Fields and Witton Country Park are also able to accommodate an additional two
matches per site. Use of Everton Playing Fields is influenced by the lease of the site to the league.
Demand for 9 v 9 pitches is also influenced by the recent nature of the implementation of the FA
Youth Review, with only one age group requiring 9 v 9 pitches. This will rise to two next year and is
therefore likely to increase demand for these pitches
Reflecting the balance of play, availability at peak time is much lower (4 match equivalents). The
greatest availability is at Witton Country Park (2). There is only scope to accommodate 1 additional
match equivalent at Everton Park Playing Fields at peak time, despite the spare capacity over the
week.
There are no 9 v 9 pitches available to the community that are not secured for community use and
therefore no reliance upon unsecured playing pitches.
7 v 7 Pitches
Table 4.8 summarises the use and spare capacity at 7 v 7 football pitches.
Use and Spare Capacity at 7 v 7 Football Pitches
Site Name
Current
Carrying
Capacity for
Community
Use
Current
Community
Use
Difference Comparison
Spare
capacity
(total)
Spare
Capacity
(Peak
Period)
Everton Playing
Fields 24 7 17
Potentially able to
accommodate
additional play
17 4
Gary Hamer
Memorial Fields -
Old Blackburnians
4 3 1
Potentially able to
accommodate
additional play
1 0.5
Our Lady of
Perpetual Succour
RC Primary School
1 0 1
Potentially able to
accommodate
additional play
1 1
St Luke & St
Philip’s CE Primary
School
1 0 1
Potentially able to
accommodate
additional play
1 1
Witton Country
Park 8 5 3
Potentially able to
accommodate
additional play
3 0.5
Sandy Lane 4 1 3
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
3 1
Table 4.8 reveals that overall, across Blackburn with Darwen, there is spare capacity equivalent to 26
match equivalent slots available at 7v7 football pitches. There are no sites that are currently overplayed. It
should be noted however that;
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 41
65% of the spare capacity is located at Everton Playing Fields. This site is leased by the East Lancs
Youth league and is therefore only used when the league plays. While the quality of pitches means
that several matches can be sustained each week in theory, in practice, all of the demand occurs at
once and matches are staggered to accommodate this
The remaining spare capacity is minimal, with both Witton Country Park and Sandy Lane able to
sustain three further games per week, and capacity for just one match equivalent at other sites
reflecting the greater pressures at peak time on Everton Playing Fields, availability at peak time is
much lower (8 match equivalents). 4 of these matches are possible at Everton Playing Fields
(assuming that kick off times can be staggered).
Impact of Unsecured Community Use
Two 7 v 7 pitches are not secured for community use (Our Lady of Perpetual Succour RC Primary School
and St Luke & St Philip’s CE Primary School). Excluding these sites means that spare capacity is equivalent
to 24, just 6 matches at peak time.
Neither site is currently used by clubs and there would therefore be no displacement of teams to other
sites. Issues of unsecured community use do therefore not have significant impact upon the adequacy of
mini soccer pitches.
5 v 5 pitches
Everton Playing Fields is the only site containing 5 v 5 pitches. There is capacity for 8 additional match
equivalents, although only 1 of these is available at peak time.
Overall picture
Overall, therefore, although there is capacity to accommodate a small amount of additional demand for
adult, 9 v 9 and 7 v 7 pitches, the amount of spare capacity is limited and there is no spare capacity in the
junior pitch stock. Several pitches are overplayed and many more are operating at the level that they can
sustain. Despite this, consultation did not reveal significant concerns regarding the amount of pitches.
For junior football, where there are greater pressures, just three clubs highlighted problems accessing
match pitches. All of these are large clubs who wish to accommodate all of their teams at one site
(Feniscowles and Pleasington FC, Darwen Rangers FC and Turton FC). Of note, all three clubs are based at
sites that are currently overplayed or approaching capacity and indeed it is the pressures at these clubs
that generate almost all of the overplay. Secretaries of the junior football league also indicated that they
believe a lack of junior pitches may inhibit demand in future years if participation continues to increase.
For adult football, few concerns were raised with regards quantity of provision and the focus was on
quality of provision. As outlined in previous pages, it is clear that pitch quality is significantly impacting
upon the capacity of both the adult and junior pitch stock. This is apparent both in terms of the number
of pitches that have limited capacity due to their quality, as well as the amount of school sites that have
formal community use arrangements but no capacity for community use due to their condition. This issue
was the most frequently recurring concern raised during consultation and drainage was highlighted as
the key concern as set out earlier in this section. Drainage has a significant impact in reducing the overall
carrying capacity of pitch sites. In many instances, it is believed that in many instances, the limited
maintenance regime is the overriding factor impacting upon the quality of the pitch .
Displaced Demand
While there are clearly some issues with the existing pitch stock, there is limited displaced demand. The
notable exceptions to this are Turton FC and Old Boltonians FC, both of whom travel into Bolton for
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 42
matches and training. Geographically however, these teams are as aligned to Bolton as to Blackburn with
Darwen and their choices are influenced by this. While Old Boltonians FC do not raise any issues with
existing arrangements, Turton FC indicate that they are unable to provide junior pitches at their home
base currently and therefore have no option but to travel. Displaced demand at Turton FC is equivalent to
10 mini soccer teams and 2 junior teams – the needs of the mini soccer teams could just be
accommodated within the existing stock, however there is no spare capacity at junior sites. Relocation of
these teams could have significant impact on spare capacity.
Anecdotally, it was reported that teams travel outside of Blackburn with Darwen to find pitches of
appropriate quality. Consultation did not reveal this issue and all teams indicated that they are currently
playing at their preferred pitch.
Conversely, Mellor Juniors, who use Roe Lee Park Primary School, travel from Mellor (outside of the
borough) to participate. This site is unsecured for community use.
Latent Demand
The Active People survey indicated that there is an opportunity to increase participation by 17%. Despite
this, just three clubs believe that there is currently unmet and / or latent demand;
Feniscowles and Pleasington FC and Turton FC both believe that with additional facilities, they
could increase the amount of teams that they are run. Reflecting this, War Memorial Ground
(Feniscowles and Pleasington FC) is overplayed and there is therefore limited scope for growth. The
club are currently seeking to increase access to pitches through the provision of additional pitches on
the adjacent land.
Similarly, as outlined above, the junior teams at Turton FC are currently displaced (10 mini teams –
2 -3 pitches, 1 junior pitch)
Great Harwood FC also believe that with additional facilities, they would be able to increase the
number of teams in the club.
Added to this, Darwen Rangers, also indicate that they are at / approaching capacity and that they will be
unable to continue to grow without more pitches. This is also evidenced by analysis of site capacity, which
demonstrates that sites are close to being overplayed.
League secretaries strongly believe that there is latent demand and that an improvement in facility quality
would stimulate increased participation. There is also thought to be latent demand within the Asian
community, although this is not directly quantifiable.
Future Picture of Provision
The future requirement for playing pitches will be impacted by several factors, including;
Population growth or change to the demographic profile of the population;
changes in participation trends and in how pitch sports are played;
club specific development plans and aspirations; and
amendments to the current facility stock.
These issues are considered in turn in order to build an accurate picture of future demand for playing
pitches.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 43
Population Change
Analysis in Section 3 indicated that while the population of Blackburn with Darwen is likely to increase (by
2.5% up to 2021 and a further 2.16% up to 2026) changes to the population profile mean that the
proportion of people within the age groups most likely to play pitch sports will increase at a much slower
rate (0.5% up to 2021). There will actually be a decline in the number of people aged 16 – 20 and 41 – 45,
which will impact particularly on demand for adult football.
Team Generation Rates (TGRs) indicate how many people in a specified age group are required to
generate one team. They are used to project the theoretical number of teams that would be generated
from population growth and gain an understanding of future demand.
Table 4.9 summarises the current TGRs for football and uses them to evaluate the potential impact of
projected population change on demand for football. It reveals that by 2021;
adult football participation is likely to remain in line with current levels. Between 2021 and 2026,
the increase in people in this age group will be sufficient to generate 1 additional team;
the number of people aged between 10 and15 will increase slightly, leading to growth in
participation equivalent to 4 teams (1 female and 3 male - 2 match equivalents per week). By 2026,
a further 2 teams will be generated (5 male and 1 female in total – 3 match equivalents per week);
and
the highest growth in participation will occur in mini soccer, with an additional 9 teams created (4.5
match equivalents per week) up to 2021. This will increase to 11 (5.5 match equivalents) by 2026.
Table 4.9 – TGRs for Football in Blackburn with Darwen
Sport and Age
Groups
Number
of teams
in age
group
within
the area
Current
Population
in Age
Group
Current
TGR
Population
in Age
Group
(2021)
Population
in Age
Group
(2026)
Potential
Change in
Team
Numbers in
Age Group
(Number of
Teams)
Current –
2021
Potential
Change
in Team
Numbers
in Age
Group
(Number
of
Teams)
Current -
2026
Football Adult Men
(16-45yrs)
73 31042 425
30811 31477 -0.54
1.02
Football Adult
Women (16-45yrs)
4 30198 7550
28768 29389 -0.19
-0.1
Football Youth Boys
(10-15yrs)
69 6278 91
6590 6732 3.43
4.99
Football Youth Girls
(10-15yrs)
11 5856 532
6234 6369 0.71
0.96
Football Mini
Soccer Mixed (6-
9yrs)
60 8530
142 9841 10054
9.22 10.7
Assuming that the capacity of the existing pitch stock remains constant, this would mean that;
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 44
there would remain sufficient adult football pitches to meet demand (spare capacity of 9 match
equivalents per week and 4 slots available at peak time). There would however be limited
opportunities for rest and recovery of pitches
there is already no spare capacity in the existing stock of junior pitches, although this is down to
the overplay at certain sites. The addition of a further 4 teams (up to 2021) and then 2 more
between 2021 and 2026 would place further pressures on existing pitches. While demand could be
accommodated on sites that are not overplayed, this would mean that there would be no scope to
address the overplay that is already occurring at other sites. Currently, additional teams playing 9 v
9 could be accommodated, however this balance will change when two age groups play 9 v 9 next
year
for mini soccer, an additional 9 teams (up to 2021) and further two teams (between 2021 and 2026)
can be accommodated within the existing pitch stock. There is currently capacity for 8 matches at
peak time (6 when excluding sites with unsecured community access) and further spare capacity
during the week.
Overall therefore, population growth will serve to increase demand for pitches in the borough and place
additional pressures on the already limited spare capacity.
Changes in Participation Trends and How Sport is Played
Although population growth will influence demand, changes in participation may perhaps have the most
significant impact on demand for playing pitches. As demonstrated earlier in this section, while the
borough has experienced significant decline in adult football, there has been extensive growth in junior
and mini soccer. If this continues;
The already insufficient stock of junior football pitches would become even more constrained, and
mini soccer pitches (7 v 7 and 5 v 5) would also become insufficient
The stock of adult football pitches would remain sufficient and spare capacity (which is currently
limited) may increase. If issues relating to the drop off in the transition between junior and senior
football were addressed however, adult football pitches may also be in short supply.
Successful interventions to address latent demand may increase the number of residents playing and
have a significant impact on the demand for pitches.
Key Sports Clubs
Across the borough, many clubs have aspirations to grow, and current growth plans are equivalent to 24
teams, specifically;
4 adult teams
5 teams requiring junior pitches
15 teams requiring mini soccer pitches.
This will impact both on demand across Blackburn with Darwen as a whole but also more locally at a site
specific level (full details provided in Appendix G). When adding this to additional teams arising from
projected population growth, by 2021, the total increased future demand will be;
4 adult teams (2 match equivalents per week)
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 45
11 junior teams (5.5 match equivalents per week)
26 mini soccer teams (13 match equivalents per week).
This would have the following impact upon the existing situation;
Spare capacity of adult pitches would reduce to 7.5 match equivalents per week and availability at
peak time would drop to just 2.5 matches per week – this represents a very limited amount of spare
capacity
The stock of junior pitches would be insufficient to accommodate the required level of demand –
there is already insufficient capacity over the week and excluding the role of unsecured sites, just 1.5
match equivalent slots available at peak time. There would be a requirement for at least 4 additional
junior pitches at peak time and more if unsecured pitches were not available as a further 3.5 teams
would be displaced
The capacity of mini pitches would become constrained – there would be insufficient pitches at
peak time (circa 5 required) although it is likely that there would remain spare capacity across the
week.
Many of the clubs with development aspirations are already playing across multiple sites and unless new
club bases are established, the impact of growth will be dispersed. It is however possible to predict
specific impact on some pitch sites as follows;
Feniscowles and Pleasington FC – site already overplayed and club seek further growth (at least 2
teams)
Darwen Rangers FC – both Branch Lane and Sandy Lane already operating at level site can sustain –
club seek further growth
Turton FC – club seek further growth in junior section – teams are already displaced into Bolton
Pleasington Playing Fields – most adult teams seeking expansion suggest that teams would be
based at Pleasington.
FA Aspirations for Growth
The FA Football Participation Report (2012 – 2013) indicates that when comparing participation against
similar authorities, Blackburn with Darwen Borough measures 7 out of 14. Based upon this, the FA
estimate that there is potential for the creation of an additional 3 adult female football teams, 4 junior
female football teams, 16 junior male teams and 7 mini soccer teams. This is broadly in line with club
aspirations outlined above.
Perhaps of greatest significance, changes to youth football have only been introduced in the last year
(including the creation of 5 v 5 and 9 v 9) and as such, the impact is not yet fully apparent. The FA indicate
that in pilot areas, the introductions of these new formats have seen an increase in the number of teams
playing and greater retention of players through the older age groups.
The FA therefore believe that there will be an increase in the overall number of teams (and participants) in
future years as a result of the youth review and that higher levels of demand will occur as a result. In this
event;
Adult pitch provision would become more constrained (assuming that the transition between
junior and adult football is addressed)
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 46
the junior pitch stock would become further inadequate
there would also be insufficient mini soccer pitches.
Forthcoming Changes to Supply
It is anticipated that more pitches will be opening during the 2014 season (many due to the opening of
playing fields at schools secured through the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme) and
available for community use as follows;
an additional adult and an additional junior pitch at Blackburn Central. There is also an existing
junior pitch that has been considered to have no capacity for community use due to school
requirements.
an additional junior football pitch at Darwen Vale High School. There is already one junior pitch at
the school which has no capacity for community use currently due to pitch quality, and;
an additional 2 senior pitches and 1 junior pitch at Witton Park High School. There is already one
junior pitch at the school which has no capacity for community use currently.
Assuming that pitch quality is of appropriate standard, this will increase capacity in the existing pitch
stock by;
3 adult pitches (circa 6 match equivalents if pitches are good quality but also taking into account
the requirement to sustain community use); and
6 junior pitches ((circa 9 match equivalents if pitches are good quality but also taking into account
the requirement to sustain community use). This includes the pitches that do not currently have
capacity, but will do so once schools are provided with additional pitches.
This would improve the supply and demand balance as follows (based upon current demand)
Capacity for adult football will remain sufficient and the capacity to increase the level of rest and
recovery for pitches would be raised
For junior football – spare capacity would equal 7 match equivalents (17 match equivalents overall
but overplay of 10). Excluding sites with unsecured community use, this would reduce to 2.5 (12.5
match equivalents but overplay of 10) and 7.5 match equivalents available at peak time. There
would however be a need to accommodate 3.5 additional match equivalents that would be
displaced from pitches that currently offer unsecure community access. While current demand
could therefore be accommodated, the levels of growth generated through the population
growth, as well as potential increases in participation would mean that there would be insufficient
capacity in the junior pitch stock longer term.
It is clear therefore that the new facilities will have a particularly important role to play in meeting
demand in the short term, however if participation is in line with, or exceeds estimates above (as
suggested by pilots for the FA youth review that it might) there may be a need to deliver further capacity
in the junior pitch stock across the borough.
Key Issues
The findings of this assessment for football and the key issues arising are summarised in Section 9.
AGPS for Football
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 47
Overview
Artificial pitches are frequently used for football training and are becoming more commonplace for
competitive play (and are now approved surfaces by FIFA). There are a variety of different surfaces of
AGPs and their suitability for football is as follows;
Long pile 3g with shock pad – suitable
Long pile 3g – preferred surface for football
Short pile 3g – acceptable surface for some competitive football and football training
Sand filled – acceptable surface for football training
Sand dressed – acceptable surface for football training
Water based – acceptable surface for football training if irrigated.
In Blackburn with Darwen, there is a comprehensive stock of AGPs, specifically;
there are seven sites containing 3g pitches – the preferred surface for football;
two of these – St Bedes RC High School and Darwen Aldridge Community Academy - are full sized
pitches; and
the remaining sites are small or ¾ size pitches. There are 11 pitches at the Lucozade Powerade
Soccerdome.
Analysis of quality reveals some issues relating to the quality of facilities;
while the quality of the 3g pitch at Darwen Aldridge Academy is excellent, the pitch at St Bedes RC
although full size is of lower quality as it regularly floods due to a blocked drain / culvert. This
restricts use of the site
All small sided pitches are rated as good or standard, with the exception of Greenfields Community
Centre, which offers open community access and is poor quality. There are also some quality
concerns at Audley Community School
12 of the AGPs were last resurfaced in 2008 or earlier, while 9 are more recently developed
facilities. Five pitches, including 3 small sized 3g pitches have been developed during or since
2012.
Notably, while 5 of the eight full size pitches are managed by Blackburn with Darwen Council, both 3g
pitches are managed and controlled by schools. Darwen Vale High School AGP is the only 3g AGP
controlled by the Council and this is not full size. This is particularly significant and represents a departure
from grass pitches, where the Council are the primary managers and therefore in control of access to
facilities. Appendix G summarises the AGPS that are available across Blackburn with Darwen.
Demand
Over 90% of clubs that run formal training sessions use AGPs. While almost all junior clubs train at least
once per week, a lower proportion of adult teams train (although many play in 5 a side leagues during
midweek). The training locations of teams are outlined in full in Appendix A, however the most popular
venues are currently as follows;
Witton Park High School Business & Enterprise College
Darwen Vale High School
Lucozade Power League Soccerdome
St Bedes RC High School
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 48
The FA, and as a consequence, local leagues have now also approved the use of AGPs for competitive
fixtures. There is little use currently of these pitches outside the small sided leagues with the exception of
the Lucozade Power Soccerdome, which is used for mini soccer matches by the East Lancs Youth Alliance.
There are several leagues in Blackburn with Darwen that exclusively take place on AGPs specifically;
The Blackburn Community Football League (Witton Park)
Blackburn Power League Leagues (Lucozade Soccer Dome)
Blackburn Community Sports Trust Leagues (Blackburn Community Sports Trust)
Samba Football Leagues (Pleckgate, Darwen Aldridge Academy and Darwen Vale High School)
Blackburn Rovers Community Sports Trust Football leagues.
The adequacy of AGPs to accommodate demand for football, taking into account both training and
competitive fixtures is discussed in the section that follows. Demand for hockey is also considered (and
will be discussed with specific reference to hockey in Section 7) as there can often be competing
demands from these two sports as both are reliant upon AGPs.
Adequacy of Provision
Supply and demand is measured on a site specific basis considering;
a. the amount of play that a site is able to sustain - based upon the number of hours that the pitch is
accessible to the community during peak periods (up to a maximum of 34 hours per week). :Peak
periods have been deemed to be Monday to Thursday 17:00 to 21:00; Friday 17:00 to 19:00 and
Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 17:00.
b. the amount of play that takes place (measured in hours); and
c. whether there is any spare capacity at the site based upon a comparison between the capacity of
the site and the actual usage.
Table 4.10 summarises the capacity of the existing AGPs across the week, comparing the number of hours
that a pitch is available at peak times with the demand for pitches.
It should be noted that pitch bookings as well as club consultation has been used to compile usage for
AGPs. Whilst the analysis seeks to represent the regular weekly usage, it is clear that there is significant
variation across Blackburn from week to week. The peak time capacity for AGPs is midweek evenings.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment
49
Table 4.10 – Site Specific Activity at AGPs S
ite
Deta
ils
No
of
Pit
ch
es
Cu
rren
t
Carr
yin
g
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity
Use
Cu
rren
t
Co
mm
un
ity
Use
Dif
fere
nce
Exte
nt
of
Sp
are
Cap
acit
y
Sp
are
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity
(peak
)
Key I
ssu
es
Audley
Community
Junior School
Sand
(small
sized)
1 32 3 29
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
16
Requires refurbishment soon. Playing surface
poor, large quantities of sand on pitch. No
community use
Blackburn
Central High
School
Sand (Full
sized) 1 21 5 16
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
8
New site (2013) Floodlit and full changing. Access
via steep steps. Potential to increase use of facility
both midweek and weekends. Current opening
hours would restrict use of facility for weekend
match play particularly for hockey.
Blackburn
Northern
Sand (Full
sized) 1 33 25.5 7.5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
2
Pitch quality good, but club would like closer
toilets and changing and a shelter. Equipment
(goals) poor and in need of updating. Pitch shared
with football and is also heavily used by the
school during the day. As hockey club grows
additional training sessions will be required.
Existing agreement is for hockey club use
Wednesday evenings and weekends. Football use
- some training and several hours casual use, as
well as small sided league. Limited scope for
additional play as it is booked on midweek nights
and required for weekends. Any expansion of
hockey requirements may see displacement of
football matches to other sites.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 50
Sit
e
Deta
ils
No
of
Pit
ch
es
Cu
rren
t
Carr
yin
g
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity
Use
Cu
rren
t
Co
mm
un
ity
Use
Dif
fere
nce
Exte
nt
of
Sp
are
Cap
acit
y
Sp
are
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity
(peak
)
Key I
ssu
es
Blackburn
Rovers
Community
Trust
Sand
(small
sized)
2 68 49 19
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
Indoor pitches. Dark but otherwise good. Pitches
used as community and educational resource for
adhoc community work. Clubs can book ad hoc or
block booking. Community initiative rather than
formal sports training facility (although can be
used for this purpose). Fully booked with
oversubscribed community league 3 nights per
week, also important venue for educational
activities.
Blackburn
Youth Zone
3g (small
sized) 1 24.5
Ad hoc
access
for
informal
kickabo
ut
Formal
use may
comprom
ise
informal
nature of
facility
New facility located on roof of youth zone.
Informal use but centre has sports coordinator
who organises activities. Not a formal sporting
facility and designed for ad hoc access and
informal play. Formal bookings for competitive
sport would compromise nature of facility
Brookhouse
Primary School
Polymeric
Base 1 34
Informal
access
at all
times
Free access, poor condition and issues with litter.
No known use of facility for formal football
training
Darwen
Aldridge
Community
Academy
3g (full
sized) 1 21 16 5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
0
New facility, excellent quality. No issues. Limited
availability midweek evenings, known to be
booked ad hoc at weekends too, this is when the
majority of availability exists. All existing usage is
for football.
Darwen Vale
High School
3g (small
sized) 1 30 20.5 9.5
Being played to the
level the site can
sustain
2
Good quality facility but some drainage issues. All
use is for football. Peak hours reduced as does
not open until 6pm, but some use does take place
between 9 and 10
Greenfield
Community
Centre
3g (small
sized) 1 34
Open
access
all day.
Litter and misuse, overall poor quality. No known
use for formal training, open access all day
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 51
Sit
e
Deta
ils
No
of
Pit
ch
es
Cu
rren
t
Carr
yin
g
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity
Use
Cu
rren
t
Co
mm
un
ity
Use
Dif
fere
nce
Exte
nt
of
Sp
are
Cap
acit
y
Sp
are
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity
(peak
)
Key I
ssu
es
Holy Trinity CE
Primary School
Sand
(small
sized)
1 Not
available 0 0
No issues, no access for community and school
would not be willing to consider allowing access
for cost and security reasons.
Lammack
Community
Primary School
Sand
(small
sized)
1 Not
available 0
Issues with sand on pitch raised by both school
and during site visits. School would not be willing
to consider community use due to poor facility
quality and security issues.
Lucozade
Power League
Soccerdome
3g (small
sized) 11 374 200
Heavily used facilities for both informal leagues
and some use by East Lancs Youth Alliance teams.
Perceived to be expensive as a training resource
but evidence of use by young teams and female
teams. Particular popular on midweek evenings.
St Bedes RC
High School
3g (full
sized) 1 22 16.5 5.5
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
2
Pitch floods due to blocked culvert outside school
grounds. Note site is also currently part of
building site. Pitch busy midweek evenings but
more limited use at weekends and limited
opening hours at weekends. All use of facility is
football
St Michael with
John School
Sand
(small
sized)
1 34 6 28
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
20
Pitch good and well maintained. Site has capacity
for additional use. Used by sports teams,
Blackburn Trust and also known casual use.
Known use is football
St Silas CE
Primary School
3g (small
sized) 1
No
community
use
0 0
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
School indicate that there is potential for
community use although pitch is located on 2nd
floor of school. New facility
St Stephens
AGP
Sand
(small
sized)
1 34 Free
access 0
Facility is open access and cannot be booked.
Predominantly used for casual sport and no
known formal use by clubs.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 52
Sit
e
Deta
ils
No
of
Pit
ch
es
Cu
rren
t
Carr
yin
g
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity
Use
Cu
rren
t
Co
mm
un
ity
Use
Dif
fere
nce
Exte
nt
of
Sp
are
Cap
acit
y
Sp
are
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity
(peak
)
Key I
ssu
es
St Wilfrids
Community
Leisure Centre
Sand
(small
sized)
18 2 16
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
16
Poor quality facility with limited community use.
Existing known usage is football. Scope to
increase usage but may be hindered by poorer
quality pitch. Some casual use also.
Westholme
School
Sand (Full
sized) 1
No
community
use
0
No floodlights. School indicate that pitch is
occasionally used for hockey at the weekend and
suggest they may be willing to consider
additional community use for hockey.
Witton Country
Park
Sand (Full
sized) 2 68 49 19
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
3
Surface of one pitch poorer than other. Used
predominantly midweek evenings and mainly
football. Hockey usage amounts to circa 3 hours
per week, plus some use of the pitch for hockey
by St Wilfrids and Westholme Schools. Pitch
capacity analysis is slightly misleading, as the
Blackburn Community league plays from 8 -
10pm in each midweek evening (ie partially
outside peak time hours). There is an additional 8
hours available if this is taken into account.
Witton Park
High School
Business &
Enterprise
College
Sand (full
sized) 1 21 15 6
Potentially able to
accommodate some
additional play
-2
Good quality facility that is heavily used by clubs.
Limited availability on midweek evenings, but
availability at weekends. All use is football despite
facility being sand based. Some midweek play
takes place outside of peak times.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 53
The key messages arising from Table 4.10 at a site specific level are as follows;
Westholme School is the only full sized pitch that is not open for community use. This is primarily
for hockey and has no football markings;
the busiest sites are Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, St Bedes RC High School, Witton Park
High School Business & Enterprise College, Blackburn Northern and Darwen Vale High School, all
of whom have less than two hours capacity available midweek and fewer than 10 hours taking into
account weekends. Witton Country Park is also extensively used, particularly by the Blackburn
Community Football League. Notably, the only two full size 3g pitches are both at / approaching
capacity;
Blackburn Central is the only site with a full pitch that has significant availability – this pitch has
only been open a few weeks and has limited use or bookings (in all likelihood because it has just
opened);
with the exception of Darwen Vale High School, Lucozade Soccer Dome and Blackburn Rovers
Community Trust, formal training use of the smaller sized pitches is much more limited than use of
the larger pitches. St Michael with John School and Audley Junior School are both important sites
for community teams, but they have scope to accommodate more use. Several sites offer free
access to their facilities and are also important venues for community activity but again, there is
less use of these facilities for training;
while AGPs are important facilities for club training, much capacity is used by block bookings for
small sided leagues. This is particularly apparent at the majority of full sized pitches, as well as
several smaller pitches. There is also a degree of informal use (ie. non-affiliated informal teams
playing casually for recreation / kickabout); and
although the majority of clubs using AGPs are based in Blackburn, there are several clubs from
outside the borough travelling to use facilities to train. This is apparent at Witton Country Park,
Pleckgate and Darwen Vale High School.
Looking more widely at the adequacy of provision across Blackburn with Darwen it can be seen that;
90% of activity on AGPs at peak times is football. The remaining 10% is hockey, but this is isolated
to two pitches – Blackburn Northern / Pleckgate High School and Witton Country Park. In contrast,
just seven sites are 3g pitches, the surface dedicated to football and only two of these are full sized
taking into account just full sized pitches that are available to the community, peak time capacity is
186 hours, while demand equates to 127 hours. This means that pitches are operating overall at
68% capacity;
all spare capacity exists at weekends however. Across all full sized pitches, there are just 15 hours
available midweek, half of which are located at the new Blackburn Central pitch. It should however
be noted that while it has been assumed that peak hours are up until 9pm, some activity does take
place on sites until 10pm, but is included within calculations. There is therefore likely to be a small
amount of additional availability before 9pm;
Darwen Vale High School (a ¾ sized 3g pitch) also has no further availability midweek; and
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 54
while capacity is limited, restricted opening hours perhaps do have a part to play in this. Many
schools do not open until 6pm, meaning that community activity cannot take place before this, and
there are also relatively restricted opening hours on weekends. Use of Pleckgate AGP is restricted
to hockey at weekends as well as Wednesday evenings.
Analysis of the current use of AGPs therefore indicates that;
there is limited spare capacity for additional activity on full size AGPs during the week, with the
majority of full size pitches booked or almost booked out. The only exception to this is Blackburn
Central. This means that there is limited capacity for further football training activity on full size
pitches;
there is however significant scope to increase the amount of activity on pitches at weekends. Only
two pitches however (St Bedes RC High School and Darwen Aldridge Academy) have a surface
appropriate for use in competitive football leagues and;
there is also scope to increase the amount of use of small sized pitches for football.
If participation was to increase significantly therefore, the capacity of existing AGPs may become
constrained (if assumed that new teams would want to train) if all clubs sought to train on full sized
pitches. Significant additional demand could however be accommodated on small pitches. It is important
to emphasise however, that while sand based surfaces are acceptable for football training, 3g surfaces are
more desirable for football.
Sport England Facility Planning Model
Activity on a site by site basis can be compared with theoretical modelling produced by Sport England
through the Facility Planning Model (FPM) 2013. This assessment considers the adequacy of full sized
AGPs based upon nationally agreed parameters and for Blackburn with Darwen shows that;
there is high satisfied demand (97.1% of demand is met);
the used capacity of AGPs across the borough is high (100%) – this suggests that there are limited
opportunities to accommodate additional play at the existing AGPs;
the relative share of pitches is above average (116 compared to the average of 100 across England
and also including adjoining LAs in Scotland and Wales). The relative share of pitches in the south
is slightly lower due to demand being pulled into this area; and
analysis of the geographical distribution of demand indicates that overall, unmet demand is
highest in the south but some demand in these areas is imported from the nearby local authorities
of Bolton and Bury.
Sport England FPM modelling therefore reveals that overall there is a good supply of combined AGPs to
meet current and latent demand (it excludes small sized facilities). It does however support findings
outlined in Table 4.10 which reveal that the used capacity of AGPs is high and that there is limited unused
capacity midweek. More specifically with regards pitches for football (includes 3g pitches only) the model
reveals that;
the supply and demand balance is high;
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 55
linked to the high supply and demand balance, satisfied demand is high (99.1%). 24.2% of demand
is however exported, meaning that users are travelling outside of the borough;
while there is low unmet demand overall, the used capacity is high, meaning that sites are full and
with limited scope to increase activity. This may be reflective of high levels of participation in the
area, as the relative share of AGPs is above average (121); and
analysis of the spatial distribution of unmet demand indicates that this is highest in the south,
demand is however being pulled from Bolton and Bury. The relative share of AGPs in the south is
lower than in the rest of the borough.
This modelling therefore suggests that overall, there is a good supply of AGPs. Reflecting the current
situation, it does however indicate that facilities are operating close to capacity.
Club Feedback
There is limited evidence of demand for additional AGPs from clubs, or from local providers. No clubs
indicated that they struggle to access AGPs for training and added to this, no issues were raised with
regards the quality of AGPs.
The main concern highlighted by clubs is the perceived costs associated with using AGPs for training, with
some clubs suggesting that they would prefer to play on floodlit grass for a lower fee. Pitch pricing is
relatively consistent across the district however and is not significantly different from national averages.
Key Issues
The findings of this assessment for AGPs for football and the key issues arising are summarised in Section
9.
.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 56
05
5. Cricket
Introduction
This section evaluates the adequacy of pitches for cricket and provides:
An overview of the supply of cricket pitches across Blackburn with Darwen
An outline of demand for cricket pitches across Blackburn with Darwen
An understanding of activity at individual sites in the borough
A picture of the adequacy of current provision across Blackburn with Darwen
The future picture of provision for cricket across Blackburn with Darwen.
Cricket in Blackburn with Darwen – An Overview
Pitch Supply
There are 9 sites containing facilities for cricket. This figure includes all known public, private, school and
other pitches whether or not they are in secured community use. Pitches available are summarised in
Table 5.1. Further detail is provided in Appendix A.
Table 5.1 – Cricket Pitches across Blackburn with Darwen
Site Provision Community Use
Status Management
Blacksnape Playing
Fields
3 pitches with non
turf wickets. Site also
used for football
Available for the
Community and Used
Secured community
use
Blackburn with Darwen
Council. Pitches smaller
than ECB guidelines
Cherry Tree Cricket Club one grass square and
no artificial wickets
Available for the
Community and Used
Secured community
use Club
Darwen Cricket Club 1 grass square and 1
non turf wicket
Available for the
Community and Used
Secured community
use Club
East Lancashire Cricket
Club
1 grass square and 2
non turf wickets
Available for the
Community and Used
Secured community
use Club
Edgworth Cricket Club 1 grass square and 2
non turf wickets
Available for the
Community and Used
Secured community
use Club
Pleasington Playing
Fields.
9 non turf wickets.
Site also used for
football
Available for
community use and
used
Secured community
use
Blackburn with Darwen
Council. Pitches smaller
than ECB guidelines
Queen Elizabeth
Grammar School
3 grass squares. Site
also used for football
Not available for
community use N/A Independent School
Sandy Lane 1 grass square. Site
also used for football
Available for the
Community and Used
Secured community
use Club
War Memorial
Recreation Ground
(Feniscowles and
Pleasington CC)
1 grass square and 1
non turf wicket. Site
also used for football
Available for the
Community and Used
Secured community
use Club
Westholme School 1 non turf wicket Not available for
community use N/A School
Table 5.1 reveals that;
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 57
there are 19 non turf wickets, of which just one is not available for community use. There is
therefore long term security that these facilities will remain available
there are 9 grass squares, 3 of which (33%) are not available for community use – this is a relatively
high proportion
all facilities that are not available for community use are located at school sites – the artificial
wicket is at Westholme School, (who do not offer community use of any facilities), while the three
grass wickets are at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. Although there is public use of other
facilities at this site, these pitches contain only six strips each and are only prepared during term
time– there is therefore limited scope to increase the stock of facilities available to the community
through use of these sites, at least in the short term
Blackburn with Darwen Council is the main provider of non turf wickets, while all grass pitches open
to the community are located at club bases. With the exception of Cherry Tree CC, all clubs also
have at least one non turf wicket. Although the site at Sandy Lane does not have a non turf wicket,
this site is managed by Darwen CC, who have a non turf wicket at their main site.
In addition to the above pitches, there is one disused artificial wicket at Pleasington Playing Fields. There
is also a former cricket pitch at Pleckgate High School / Blackburn Northern.
While pitches at Darwen CC, East Lancs CC and Edgworth CC are used exclusively for cricket, the
remainder of sites all include football pitches on the outfield. This can add to the wear and tear of pitches
and impact upon the ability to undertake maintenance relating to both football and cricket pitches.
Pitch Quality
The quality of cricket pitches is average overall, with no poor quality facilities. There are however several
site specific quality issues identified and it should be noted that the non-turf wickets based at public pitch
sites do not meet with ECB regulations. The quality issues identified at each site are summarised in
Appendix D and are also referred to later in this section when examining site specific activity.
Cosultation revealed that;
the quality of facilities for training is believed to be the key concern. Training facilities at most sites
were in relatively poor condition and /or limited in function and several sites have uneven carpets and
poor quality training nets – this generates additional wear and tear on grass wickets
The quality of pitch outfields, as well as poor quality changing accommodation is also believed to
be inhibiting demand- Cherry Tree CC, Feniscowles CC and Edgworth CC all believe that
refurbishment to existing changing / pavilion is required within the next five years if clubs are to
continue to attract players
Reflecting the views of clubs, concerns were also raised about a lack of appropriate cricket pitches
for the weekend and midweek cricket leagues. There is felt to be considerable potential to increase
the amount of play in these leagues and it is suggested that to some extent, facilities are inhibiting
growth in the sport.
There are also concerns about the cross over in season between cricket and football and the limitations
that this places upon the maintenance programme. There are several sites that accommodate both cricket
and football, but issues are primarily apparent in relation to pitches managed by the Borough Council.
Demand
Active People and Market Segmentation (Sport England)
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 58
The Sport England Active People Survey and Market Segmentation data provides an understanding of
participation in cricket and latent demand for cricket. Full details are provided in Appendix E, but the key
messages arising are;
the participants in cricket in Blackburn with Darwen are those that are nationally most likely to play
(Jamie, Tim, Kev and Ben) and participation is geographically even. There is limited participation by
female groups; and
analysis of latent demand suggests that only 60% of the total population that would like to play
cricket currently play, indicating that there is potential to increase participation. The latent demand
is from residents in the same market segments as those that currently play and is geographically
even. Despite low levels of current participation, there is limited interest in playing cricket from
female residents. This suggests that efforts to increase participation should target those of similar
characteristics that do play.
Current Participation
Table 5.2 summarises the cricket teams that are playing within Blackburn with Darwen. There are a total
of 76 cricket teams playing in the area and that cricket is dominated by senior participation, with 66% of
teams being open aged male teams. Despite lower levels of junior play, recent seasons have seen a small
increase in the number of junior teams. This contrasts with a slight decline in adult participation.
Table 5.2 – Cricket Teams in Blackburn with Darwen
Sport and Age Groups
Number of teams
in age group within
the area
Cricket Open Age Mens (18-55yrs) 50
Cricket Open Age Womens (18-55yrs) 1
Cricket Junior Boys (7-18yrs) 25
Cricket Junior Girls (7-18yrs) 0
Cricket Open Age Mens (18-55yrs) 50
Appendix A provides further details of teams and the leagues in which they play. It is clear however that
cricket in Blackburn with Darwen is divided into two forms of the game:
Club Based Cricket: 51% of teams are based within five cricket clubs, all of whom own and manage their
own facilities and play in leagues affiliated to the England and Wales Cricket Board, specifically;
Cherry Tree CC (3 senior and 5 junior teams)
Darwen CC (5 senior teams including 1 ladies, and 4 junior teams)
East Lancs CC (3 senior and 5 junior teams)
Edgworth CC (3 senior and 3 junior teams)
Feniscowles and Pleasington CC (3 senior and 5 junior teams)
Non Turf Wicket Leagues: The remaining teams play in leagues that are unaffiliated to the England and
Wales Cricket Board as follows;
Blackburn Midweek Cricket League (plays Monday to Thursday)
Blackburn and District Amateur Weekend Cricket League (play Saturday and Sunday – divisions
alternate days each weekend).
These leagues are reliant on venues provided by Blackburn with Darwen Council (primarily at Pleasington
Playing Fields with use of Blacksnape Playing Fields for overspill).
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 59
Representative Teams
All clubs are members of the Blackburn with Darwen Cricket Development Group and work together to
grow cricket in the borough. Representative teams are run for juniors selected from each of the clubs.
These teams rotate home fixtures across the different pitches and place additional wear and tear on the
wickets. It is not however possible to accurately attribute their play to a specific site for analysis purposes.
Training Needs
The majority of teams playing in the midweek and weekend cricket leagues either play in both leagues,
do not train, or train indoors on occasion.
Clubs primarily use indoor training nets during the winter months. Training outdoors takes place on
artificial wickets and in training nets at the club base during the summer. Cherry Tree Cricket Club is the
only exception to this – they use a small tarmac area at the edge of the outfield for training due to a lack
of facilities. Outside of indoor facilities (which are considered difficult to access), the need for training
facilities is therefore confined to the club base.
Educational Demand
Demand for formal cricket pitches is much less evident from the education sector than other sports. While
many primary schools play cricket and have cricket teams, this is primarily kwik cricket played indoors or
on the playground. The Chance to Shine Programme, which brings cricket back into primary schools and
seeks to create strong links between schools and clubs has however been particularly successful and may
have contributed to the small increase in junior cricket participation.
There is greater evidence of ad hoc use of cricket grounds by schools including Westholme School, St
Wilfrids, Darwen Aldridge Academy and St Bedes RC Catholic High School. All cricket clubs indicate that
they occasionally allow schools to use their facilities, usually free of charge. Links between schools and
clubs include;
East Lancashire Cricket Club – links with Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, St Silas Primary School,
Sacred Heart Primary School and Westholme School
Darwen CC – links with Darwen Aldridge Academy, St Edwards Church of England School and St
Pauls Church of England School
Cherry Tree CC – links with St Wilfrids School and St Bedes
Feniscowles and Pleasington CC – facilities used ad hoc by schools.
The strong links with clubs mean that schools see only limited requirement for cricket pitches on site and
only Pleckgate High School expressed an interest in developing a cricket pitch. School use of club bases
does however restrict overall capacity for community use.
Casual Demand
There is limited informal use of cricket pitches and many of the grounds are private property. Some sites
do however receive informal use, which can impact upon the quality of the wicket and cause damage to
the surface. The timing of the cricket season means that informal use is higher than for other sports. Sites
receiving informal use are facilities owned and managed by the Council (Pleasington Playing Fields and
Blacksnape Playing Fields) and Sandy Lane (Darwen Cricket Club) and Feniscowles and Pleasington War
Memorial Ground. Pleasington Playing Fields in particular, frequently suffers from problems caused by
recreational use of the wickets.
Assessing the Supply and Demand Information and Views
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 60
The adequacy of facilities for cricket is measured by comparing the amount of wickets available against
the level of use of these wickets. This is considered firstly at a site specific level and then information and
issues are compiled in order to present a Boroughwide picture.
For cricket, unlike other pitch sports, the capacity of a pitch is measured on a season rather than weekly
basis and is primarily determined by the number and quality of wickets on a pitch. Play is rotated
throughout the season across the number of wickets on a pitch to reduce wear and allow for repair and
each wicket can accommodate a certain amount of play per season.
As a guide, the ECB suggests that a good quality wicket should be able to take:
5 matches per season per grass wicket (adults);
7 matches per season per grass wicket (juniors);
60 matches per season per non turf wicket (adults); and
80 matches per season per non turf wicket (juniors).
Demand is therefore measured in terms of the number of home games that each team will play per
season.
Situation at Individual Sites
Based upon the above parameters, Table 5.3 provides an overview of site specific activity for each of the
pitches that are offer community use in Blackburn with Darwen. Full details of teams playing at each site
can be found in Appendix A. It should be noted that where teams fluctuate between one or more sites,
assumptions have been made based upon consultation in order to provide as accurate a picture as
possible of play at each site.
Table 5.3 clearly indicates that all facilities offering community use are well used and the majority of
pitches are able to accommodate more play. The key pressure points in terms of the amount of facilities
are focused upon club based cricket, while the quality of facilities has a greater impact upon the
unaffiliated cricket teams.
Reflecting analysis relating to quality earlier in this section, site specific analysis demonstrates that there
are quality concerns at almost all sites, primarily in relation to training facilities and that longer term,
quality issues may start to inhibit pitch capacity.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment
61
Table 5.3 – Site Specific Usage
Site Pitch
Type
No of
Wickets Quality
Home
Game
s Per
Seaso
n
Cricket
(Use per
Grass
Wicket)
Comparison Key Issues and Views
Blacksnape Playing
Fields
Non Turf
Cricket
Wicket
3 Standard 0 0
Potentially able to
accommodate
some additional
play
Site used as an overspill site for the midweek and weekend cricket leagues.
Facilities are of higher quality than pitches at Pleasington, but the benefits of using
just one venue for the league, as well as the location of pitches at Blacksnape
(exposed to the elements) mean that pitches at Pleasington are preferred. Pitches
are therefore able to accommodate higher levels of play than they currently take.
Outfields are small (and do not meet with ECB guidelines) and the pitches would
benefit from levelling. Pitches are however good and functional for the purpose
that they currently serve.
Cherry Tree Cricket
Club
Grass
Cricket 16 Standard 63
3.9375
(league
matches
). 7.66
taking
into
account
other
matches
Potentially able to
accommodate
some additional
play
Important site for local club. Site of average quality and potentially able to
accommodate more play. The club report 122 matches actually took place last
season , including cup matches and school matches. This would mean wicket use
was over level recommended. The lack of appropriate training facilities (no artificial
wicket and poor quality grass training facility) restricts training and sometimes
means that on pitch training is balanced with match play. Aspirations to increase
the number of teams at the club (to redress recent declines in membership
numbers) would place extra pressures on the square. While the quality of the wicket
is sufficient to meet current demand, the club believe that they do not have
appropriate equipment for maintenance and there are therefore concerns about the
long term sustainability of the facility. The poor quality changing accommodation
and pavilion also impact upon the clubs ability to attract players.
Darwen Cricket Club
Grass
Cricket 15 Good 33 2.2
Potentially able to
accommodate
some additional
play
Primary site of Darwen Cricket Club. Usage lower than other club sites as play
distributed between first and second ground. Current levels of play, as well as
aspirations to increase the number of junior teams, mean that both pitches are
required to sustain existing and current participation, but that goals can be
achieved within the clubs existing infrastructure. While the overall quality of the
facility is good (and the highest in Blackburn with Darwen), surveys have revealed
that there are some immediate quality issues that need to be addressed (thatching).
In addition, while the current maintenance programme is perceived to be good, the
club indicate that they are struggling to fund the required programme of
maintenance. Training facilities are also in poor condition and require replacement.
Non Turf
Cricket
Wicket
1 Good 0 0
Potentially able to
accommodate
some additional
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 62
Site Pitch
Type
No of
Wickets Quality
Home
Game
s Per
Seaso
n
Cricket
(Use per
Grass
Wicket)
Comparison Key Issues and Views
play
Sandy Lane (Darwen
Cricket Club Second
Site)
Grass
Cricket 8 Standard 42 5.25
Being played to
the level the site
can sustain
Second ground of Darwen CC. Of lower quality than other site but accommodates
lots of junior fixtures as well as overspill adult fixtures from the main site. Important
site for the club. Location in public playing field / recreation area means that site
experiences unofficial use, however good maintenance programmes are still applied
to this site. As with the first team ground, the ongoing sustainability of the
maintenance programme remains a key challenge.
East Lancashire
Cricket Club
Grass
Cricket 16 Standard 64 4
Potentially able to
accommodate
some additional
play
While site is theoretically able to accommodate some additional play, significant
drainage problems caused by an old drainage system are currently impacting upon
the ability to sustain current matches. Adding to this, training facilities are limited
and in poor condition and the artificial wicket is uneven and requires improvement
to bring it up to the necessary standard
Non Turf
Cricket
Wicket
1 Poor 0 0
Potentially able to
accommodate
some additional
play
Edgworth Cricket
and Recreation Club
Grass
Cricket
7 and
2
junior
tracks
Standard 51 5.66 Being overplayed
Facility being overplayed. Wicket quality is standard and there is evidence of high
levels of use on some wickets, perhaps reflecting the high levels of play at the site
for the size of the square. Pitch condition has improved this year, as a result of
significant investment in out of season maintenance by the club. The Club have
further aspirations to increase number of junior teams by 1 - 2 teams over next 3
years, meaning that there will be greater pressures on the wickets. Further club
growth may be inhibited by the facilities available. The artificial wickets are standard
to poor and require replacing and the training nets also require replacing. Adding
to this, the club believe that their changing accommodation requires refurbishment
within the next five years.
Non Turf
Cricket
Wicket
2 Standard
Pleasington Playing
Fields
Non Turf
Cricket
Wicket
9 Standard 252 28
Potentially able to
accommodate
some additional
play
Site is main venue for both midweek and weekend cricket leagues as well as being
the primary venue for football in Blackburn with Darwen. This means that there is
little opportunity for rest and recovery in between sporting seasons. Artificial
wickets mean that site is able to sustain high levels of play and the main pressures
on the site arise from the need to accommodate several matches at one time, rather
than the capacity of the wickets across the season. Outfields are small (below
guideline sizes although they are acceptable to the leagues using the facilities).
Although there are 10 pitches on site, quality issues mean that use of these wickets
is uneven, and some pitches are hardly used during the season. This impacts upon
the number of matches that can be played and the quality issues experienced also
hinders the enjoyment of those playing. Specific pitches suffer from different issues,
but in general, the carpets are fit for purpose (and replaced on a rolling
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 63
Site Pitch
Type
No of
Wickets Quality
Home
Game
s Per
Seaso
n
Cricket
(Use per
Grass
Wicket)
Comparison Key Issues and Views
programme) but the outfields are dangerously uneven and suffering from poor
drainage in parts. In addition, some pitches are located adjacent to the river and /
or undergrowth and there are no nets preventing balls from getting lost. The poor
quality of several pitches (and the subsequent lack of use of these facilities) means
that there is a need to consider the potential improvement and / or reconfiguration
of the site in order to ensure that participation in cricket is not negatively impacted.
Many of the issues identified for cricket are similar to those impacting upon the site
for football.
War Memorial
Recreation Ground
(Feniscowles Sports
and Social Club)
Grass
Cricket 11 Good 59
5.36363
6364 Being played to
the level the site
can sustain
The amount of play on the site is currently appropriate for the quality of the wicket,
however further increases in participation at the club may see pressures increase
and the growth of the club may be inhibited in years to come. The site is also
heavily used for football during the winter months, meaning that there are few
opportunities for rest and recovery. There are no immediate quality concerns, with
the main areas for improvement being an uneven outfield. The site also suffers from
ad hoc unofficial use as a result of its status as a public recreation area. Non turf
cricket wicket is of good quality and used largely for training.
Non Turf
Cricket
Wicket
1 Good 0 0
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 64
Current Picture of Provision
The site overviews set out in Table 5.3 can be used to develop an overall picture of provision. All sites that
are available for community use have secured access and community cricket is therefore not reliant upon
any unsecured facilities.
To evaluate cricket in the way that most reflects how it is played, the adequacy of provision for club based
cricket and then unaffiliated cricket is considered separately as there is currently no interaction between
the two forms of the game in the borough.
Club Based Cricket
With the exception of Cherry Tree CC, most training takes place on non-turf wickets and the grass wickets
are therefore only required to sustain competitive fixtures.
Table 5.4 builds upon the site specific overviews and outlines the amount of play that can be sustained at
each club base, and based upon the existing usage, provides an indication of the spare capacity. Unlike
Table 5.3, Table 5.4 also takes into account the proportion of demand from junior and senior teams to
accurately identify the degree of spare capacity / overplay. Capacity at Darwen Cricket Club and Sandy
Lane are considered together, as these sites are used interchangeably. All play is assumed to take place
on grass wickets.
Table 5.4 – Remaining Capacity at Cricket Sites that are available for community use
Site
Curren
t
Wicket
s
Current
Capacity
Comm
unity
Use
Wickets
Needed
to
Sustain
Adult
Matches
(5 games
per
wicket)
Wickets
needed
to
sustain
junior
play (7
games
per
wicket)
Wickets
not
used if
all
wickets
sustain
maximu
m
capacity
Total Spare
Capacity
Cherry
Tree
Cricket
Club
16 80 - 112
matches 63
Potential to
sustain more
play
7 4 5
25 senior
fixtures or 35
junior matches.
(Note club
report
additional use
of pitch by
schools took
total to 122
matches). If this
remains
consistent there
is no spare
capacity at this
site
Darwen
Cricket
Club
23 115 - 161
matches 90
Potential to
sustain more
play
9.6 6 7.4
37 senior
fixtures or 49
junior matches
East
Lancashire
Cricket
Club
16 80 - 112
matches 64
Potential to
sustain more
play
6.4 4.571429 5.028571
25 senior
fixtures or 35
junior matches
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 65
Edgworth
Cricket
Club
7 senior
and 2
junior
49 matches 51 Overplayed 7.8 1.714286 -0.51429
Overplayed
(although
artificial used as
overspill)
War
Memorial
Recreation
Ground
11 55 - 77
matches 59
Operating at
the level that
can be
sustained
6 4.142857 0.857143
Less than 5
adult fixtures or
7 junior fixtures
Table 5.4 therefore reinforces the message portrayed by Table 5.3 and indicates that in total across
Blackburn with Darwen, at club bases, there is capacity for an additional 92 adult matches, or 126 junior
matches on grass wickets (although there is a small amount of overuse at Edgworth CC equating to 1.5
wickets, meaning that overall spare capacity would be reduced to 85 adult fixtures if this overuse was to
be relocated). In more detail;
Cherry Tree Cricket Club, Darwen Cricket Club and East Lancashire Cricket Club all have capacity to
accommodate additional fixtures. All three sites would be able to accommodate approximately two
further adult teams, although it should be reiterated that this excludes ad hoc use of facilities. Cherry
Tree CC report that 122 matches were hosted last year. If this level of play is consistent each year,
there is no further capacity at this site. Both East Lancs CC and Darwen CC however have immediate
quality issues which if not addressed, may impact upon short and longer term capacity. These are;
East Lancs CC - drainage may begin to impact upon site capacity and to cause cancellations of
matches unless these are rectified, practice facilities are also of poor quality
Darwen CC - thatching
The highest levels of spare capacity are at Darwen Cricket Club who have two sites – both sites are
required to accommodate the number of teams that play at the same time, as well as play across the
season.
Capacity at Edgworth CC is restricted and one junior team are already using the artificial wicket due
to a lack of availability of grass strips. Added to this, wickets require repair and artificial wicket
quality and training facilities are also poor;
Feniscowles and Pleasington CC are also operating the number of games that the site can sustain.
This site suffers from an uneven outfield and pressures are exacerbated by the fact that the site is also
used for football (and is overplayed during the football season).
Reflecting the findings of site specific analysis to a degree, no comments were raised during consultation
with regards the amount of grass pitches that are available for competitive club based play and only East
Lancashire Cricket Club indicated that the amount of wickets available to them may constrain club growth
in the longer term.
As reflected in site specific analysis, there were however concerns raised with regards the lack of facilities
of appropriate quality for training – this was raised by all of the clubs as well as by the local cricket
development officer and other representatives of cricket in the borough. Concerns relating to the amount
of non-turf wickets for competitive fixtures also focus primarily upon the quality of these facilities rather
than the amount of wickets that are available
Map 5.1 illustrates the spare capacity available. It illustrates that while two sites are at or approaching
capacity, the three sites able to sustain more play are evenly distributed across the borough.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 66
Map 5.1 – Spare Capacity at Club Based Cricket Pitches
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 67
It should be noted however that while the amount of grass wickets at club bases is sufficient overall, the
poor quality of training facilities impacts upon the quality and levels of use of many of the club based
cricket facilities and is perhaps more limiting than the availability of grass wickets currently. Cherry Tree
CC do not have any training facilities, meaning that the club must either improvise or use match facilities.
There are also quality issues relating to the clubhouses at existing sites, which might impact upon the
attractiveness of the club.
While there are non-turf wickets at public sites, these facilities do not meet with ECB guidelines, meaning
that they are not suitable for use by the affiliated clubs.
Unaffiliated Cricket
The Blackburn Midweek League and Weekend League use non turf wickets at Pleasington Playing Fields
and Blacksnape Playing Fields. There is no relationship between these leagues and the clubs and
therefore no use of their facilities.
Table 5.5 outlines the capacity of pitches at Pleasington Playing Fields and Blacksnape Playing Fields. The
sites have been combined as they are used interchangeably by the league.
Table 5.5 – Pitch availability – Artificial Wickets at Public Sites
Site Current
Wickets
Current
Capacity
Community
Use Comparison
Total Spare
Capacity
Pleasington and
Blacksnape 12 720 486
Potential to
sustain more
play
234 adult
fixtures
The pitches at Pleasington Playing Fields and Blacksnape Playing Fields are theoretically able to
accommodate an additional 234 fixtures. There are however several factors that influence the use of these
facilities and mean that not all pitches can be used at the same time;
Pleasington Playing Fields - Small outfields (below guideline sizes although they are acceptable to
the leagues using the facilities). Specific pitches suffer from different issues, but in general, the
carpets are fit for purpose (and replaced on a rolling programme) but the outfields are dangerously
uneven and suffering from poor drainage in parts. In addition, some pitches are located adjacent to
the river and / or undergrowth and there are no nets preventing balls from getting lost. Many of
the issues identified for cricket at this site also impact upon football use of the site
Blacksnape - outfields are small (do not meet guidelines but are acceptable to the leagues using
the facilities) and pitches are exposed. Would benefit from levelling;
While most of the above issues do not impact upon the ability of the grounds to sustain competitive
fixtures, the varying quality of pitches at Pleasington Playing Fields mean that in practice, not all pitches
are fully utilised and there are greater pressures on the pitches that are deemed to be better quality.
Indeed, some pitches are rarely used (for a variety of reasons but primarily drainage, surface of the
outfield, size of boundaries and location adjacent to rivers) meaning that use of the wickets exceeds
recommended levels on the busier pitches and the overall capacity of the site is impacted. At least 2
pitches are actively avoided by the leagues and the poor condition of some facilities therefore
compromises the facilities that are provided. The location of Blacksnape Playing Fields and the preference
of the leagues to focus all activity on one site however means that the majority of play takes place at
Pleasington and there are much lower levels of use at Blacksnape. The lack of appropriate pitches may
start to inhibit demand if not addressed, as there is little capacity to increase play at Pleasington Playing
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 68
Fields without the use of the poor quality facilities. There is however scope for the reconfiguration of
pitches at the site and an opportunity to make better use of the space.
Displaced Demand
There is no evidence of displaced demand for competitive cricket (either affiliated or unaffiliated) – all
teams are currently accommodated at their preferred grounds.
Latent and Unmet Demand
Active People analysis outlined earlier in this section highlights the potential to increase the amount of
cricket players by up to 40% and some unmet / latent demand was also identified through consultation
with current participants;
the midweek and weekend cricket leagues believe that the current stock of pitches (which is
impacted by quality issues that mean that not all pitches can be used at the same time) restricts
league capacity. Although numbers have reduced this year due to the timing of Ramadan, the
league turned down four teams due to a lack of appropriate pitches during 2012 – 2013. There is a
perception that improved pitches would stimulate and facilitate a further increase in participation;
Cherry Tree Cricket Club also believe that dated changing and practice facilities are impacting upon
the clubs ability to attract players and again suggest that improvements would stimulate additional
demand for pitches; and
East Lancashire Cricket Club believe that the growth potential of the club is now limited, due to the
number of fixtures played at the site and the lack of space to accommodate further teams, as well
as a shortage of coaches and volunteers.
Quality of facilities is therefore considered to be the primary cause of unmet demand.
Future Picture of Provision
Population growth will impact upon demand for pitch provision, as well as changes in participation trends
and amendments to the existing facility stock.
These issues are considered in turn in order to build an accurate picture of future demand.
Population Change
Team Generation Rates (TGRs) indicate how many people in a specified age group are required to
generate one team. By applying TGRs to population projections, we can project the theoretical number of
teams that would be generated from population growth and gain an understanding of future demand.
Table 5.7 summarises the current TGRs for cricket and uses them to evaluate the potential impact of
projected changes to the population profile on demand. It reveals that population growth and changes to
the population profile will result in;
a small decrease in the number of people aged between 18-55, the age groups that typically play
senior cricket up to 2021. As such, participation is likely to remain in line with current levels. By
2026, there may be an increase of up to 1 team; and
an increase in the number of people aged between 7 and 18, leading to growth in participation
equivalent to just over 1 team by 2021 and almost 2 teams by 2026.
Table 5.7 – Impact of Changes to the Population Profile
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 69
Sport and Age
Groups
Current
population
in age
group
within the
area
Current
TGR
Future
population
in age group
within the
area (2021)
Future
population
in age
group
within the
area
(2026)
Current
TGR
Potential
Change in
Team
Numbers
in Age
Group
(Number
of Teams)
Current -
2021
Potential
Change
in Team
Numbers
in Age
Group
(Number
of
Teams)
Current -
2026
Cricket Open Age
Mens (18-55yrs)
50 38266 765 37980 38800 765 -0.37 0.70
Cricket Open Age
Womens (18-55yrs)
1 37474 37474 36326 37111 37474 -0.031 -0.01
Cricket Junior Boys
(7-18yrs)
25 12928 517 13547 13840 517 1.2 1.76
Cricket Junior Girls
(7-18yrs)
0 12047 0 12663 12937 0 0 0!
In terms of pitch requirements, this would result in;
demand for senior cricket pitches remaining relatively stable; and
a requirement to accommodate 8 – 10 additional matches per season (junior matches) by 2021 and
potentially up to 20 matches by 2026.
Based upon calculations set out in Tables 5.3 – 5.6, this level of requirement could be accommodated
within the existing pitch stock.
It should be noted however that this assumes that the overall make up of the population remains static
and in line with current figures. Figures reveal that much population growth in the younger age groups is
occurring in those that are of Asian origin. These groups are currently very active in cricket and this may
have an impact upon the accuracy of the use of TGRs as a means of projecting future demand – there is
potential that in reality, demand may increase at a rate faster than TGRs suggest if pitch provision does
not inhibit capacity.
Participation Trends– Impact on Pitches
Changes in participation may perhaps have the most significant impact upon future demand for cricket
pitches. Analysis of recent trends in participation reveals the following;
Club Based Participation: four out of five clubs indicate that they have experienced recent growth in
junior cricket and increasing demand for pitches. In contrast, adult participation has been much more
mixed, with Feniscowles CC increasing membership, Darwen CC creating a new ladies team while other
clubs declined or remained static.
The stabilising of cricket, and the increasing challenge of attracting participants means that the Lancashire
Cricket Board are focusing upon a strategy of retaining existing players and supporting increased
participation where opportunities arise. They are seeking to address many of the issues currently facing
cricket, including the ageing volunteer base and to support clubs to become more sustainable. In
recognition of changing lifestyle patterns and the challenges of 50 over cricket, the England Cricket Board
are now seeking to introduce alternative forms of the game, including Last Man Standing and T20. These
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 70
are similar in format to the midweek and weekend leagues and offer people who are unable to participate
in full matches shorter forms of the game.
The cricket board therefore currently has an overall focus on player retention and is not anticipating
significant growth in club based cricket, instead highlighting potential to grow more informal forms of the
game.
Reflecting this, sustainability was highlighted as a key concern by several cricket clubs across the
borough. Rising costs associated with maintenance and management of their sites, coupled with
challenges attracting players mean that the long term future of cricket is under threat.
Unaffiliated leagues: Although the number of teams competing in the midweek and weekend leagues
has decreased this year (this is attributed to the timing of Ramadan and the difficulties that this presents
with competing in physical activity) prior to this season, there has been an increase in participation and
both leagues are at or reaching capacity, with further teams having approached the leagues to join.
This suggests that if quality / capacity issues are addressed, there may be particular scope for growth of
these leagues and a consequential impact upon demand for facilities.
Despite initial policies of retention, most clubs, as well as the informal leagues have expressed aspirations
to grow and many have development plans in place. These aspirations will impact both on the need for
facilities across Blackburn with Darwen as a whole but also more locally at a site specific level. The
localised nature of the clubs and the fact that they all play at home bases means that it is possible to
attribute demand to sites.
Table 5.8 summarises specific aspirations for growth and outlines the potential overall and site specific
impact of this growth. It also considers the ability of each site to accommodate the potential growth,
based upon the capacity calculations set out earlier in this section. It assumes that a junior team will play
on average 8 home games per season, while a senior team will play 12 home matches (based on current
averages).
Table 5.8 –Club Specific Growth Aspirations
Club Aspirations
Potential
Impact
Capacity to accommodate
Club
based Cherry Tree
Cricket Club
Aspirations to
increase number
of junior teams by
3
24 matches Yes, but limited remaining capacity (less than 10
junior matches)
Feniscowles
Cricket Club
No stated
aspirations for
growth 0 No capacity for growth
Darwen
Cricket Club
Additional mens
team and junior
team 20 matches
Scope to accommodate these aspirations. Some
(limited) remaining capacity
East
Lancashire
Cricket Club
No stated
aspirations 0 Scope to accommodate additional play
Edgworth CC Additional 1 - 2
16 matches
No. Pitch already at capacity. Artificial wicket
could be used
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 71
junior teams
Public
Playing
Fields
Midweek
Cricket
League
Estimate 4 teams
24 matches
Yes but availability of pitches of appropriate
quality may however restrict growth if existing
issues are not addressed)
Weekend
Cricket
League
Estimate 4 teams
36 matches
Yes but greater pressures on peak time demand
as number of teams increases. Availability of
pitches of appropriate quality may however
restrict growth if existing issues are not
addressed.
Table 5.8 demonstrates that there is capacity to accommodate growth aspirations at all clubs that are not
already at capacity. Further increases (or levels greater than that suggested through the application of
TGRs) may however mean that capacity is restricted. Edgworth CC and Feniscowles CC are sustaining
levels of play appropriate to their capacity, meaning that there is little opportunity for growth at these
clubs.
Forthcoming Changes to Supply
Pleckgate High School have expressed an interest in the reinstatement of the former Blackburn Northern
cricket pitch (located on their school site). If this was to go ahead, it would provide an additional grass
facility which could be used by the school as well as by either an existing or new club or academy.
Summary and Key Issues
The key issues for cricket are therefore set out in Section 9.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 72
06
6. Rugby
Introduction
This section evaluates the adequacy of pitches for rugby and provides:
An overview of the supply of rugby pitches across Blackburn with Darwen
An outline of demand for rugby pitches across Blackburn with Darwen
An understanding of activity at individual sites in the borough
A picture of the adequacy of current provision across Blackburn with Darwen
The future picture of provision for rugby across Blackburn with Darwen
Rugby in Blackburn with Darwen – An Overview
Pitch Supply
There are 8 grass rugby pitches at 3 sites across Blackburn with Darwen. Seven out of eight pitches are in
secured community use but there are no public pitches - the only facilities are owned and managed by
the rugby club and independent schools. All three sites are located in Blackburn – there is no provision
for rugby in Darwen.
Table 6.1 summarises the pitches and also outlines the quality ratings that these sites have been awarded.
Further detail is provided in Appendix A.
Table 6.1 – Rugby Pitches across Blackburn with Darwen
Site Name
Total
Rugby
Pitches Accessibility
Security of
Access
Pitch
Quality
Rating Feedback
Blackburn
RUFC 5
Available to
the community
and used
Secured
Community
Use
Main pitch
good, pitches
2 – 4 standard
and poor
quality training
pitch
Detailed maintenance regime but
ageing equipment and poor
clubhouse / changing
accommodation. Pitch quality
influenced by heavy use (detailed later
in this section).
Queen
Elizabeth
Grammar
School
2
Available to
the community
but not used
Secured
Community Good
Good facilities although some
drainage issues during periods of
heavy rain
Westholme
School 1
Not available
to the
community
N/A Good New pitch with new equipment.
Maintained by dedicated groundsman
Demand
Active People and Market Segmentation (Sport England)
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 73
The Active People Survey measures participation and provides an indication of the types of people that
play the sport and the potential latent demand. This analysis reveals that;
the key participants in rugby are those that also play other pitch sports, specifically Jamie, Ben,
Tim and Kev. Leanne is the only female with a participation profile in rugby. Reflecting the
distribution of pitches (which are focused in Blackburn) analysis suggests that participation is
higher in Blackburn than in the south of the borough (Darwen); and
there is a degree of latent demand identified, with 21% of the total potential rugby playing
population not currently participating. Latent demand is focused in the same groups that currently
play. There is however evidence of a small amount of interest in participating from residents in
older age groups (Phil and Terry) and this may represent an opportunity to expand club
membership.
Further details are provided in Appendix E.
Actual Participation
There is only one rugby club in Blackburn with Darwen running a total of 16 teams across all age groups
and therefore providing the full spectrum of development opportunities. Table 6.2 outlines the teams run,
as well as the number of match equivalents that teams generate per week. This is based upon the
assumption that each team will play alternate home and away games, and also takes into account the
shorter games and use of only part of the full size pitch by midi rugby teams (in line with guidance
provided by the RFU).
Table 6.2– Rugby Teams in Blackburn with Darwen
Sport and Age Groups
Number of teams in
age group within the
area
Match Equivalents
Per Week
Rugby Union Senior Men (19-45yrs) 4 2
Rugby Union Senior Women (19-45yrs) 0 0
Rugby Union Youth Boys (13-18yrs) 4 2
Rugby Union Youth Girls (13-18yrs) 0 0
Rugby Union Mini/Midi Mixed (7-12yrs) 6 0.75
The Blackburn RUFC site is also home to the Lancashire Wolverines American Football Team during the
summer months. This club, who are part of the Lancashire Academy of American Football, run two senior
and two colts teams. The site is also used on an ad hoc basis for other purposes, including representative
matches, tournaments and coaching.
Training Needs
All training takes place at the club base, primarily on the 5th
pitch, the only pitch floodlit for this purpose.
The pitch is also used weekly for training by a representative Lancashire U18 team. Training is equivalent
to up to 5 matches per week (including the use of the pitch by the Lancashire U18 team) which has a
significant impact upon the overall capacity of the facility and more specifically the wear and tear on this
pitch.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 74
Educational Demand
Reflecting the lack of rugby pitches at school sites, there is limited participation in rugby within secondary
schools currently and as a consequence, the club indicate that recruiting players can be challenging. This
may also explain the degree of latent demand. Rugby is currently played at Queen Elizabeth Grammar
School, St Wilfrids and Westholme Schools within Blackburn and it is hoped that the introduction of a
new rugby pitch at Darwen Vale School will increase the amount of rugby played there.
To maintain membership numbers, the club therefore have developed strong links with Blackburn
College, University of Central Lancashire and Myerscough College (both Preston) and seek to gain new
players through these links. Several primary schools within Blackburn are now playing Tag Rugby and it is
hoped that this may also increase future demand for rugby. There is no use of the club base for rugby by
schools and likewise, the club do not use any school facilities.
Casual Demand
Although it is a private site, the playing fields are used by some for casual recreational purposes and this
has led to issues with dog fouling. The impact is not sufficiently large to reduce the capacity of pitches,
but does affect pitch quality and the player experience.
Assessing the Supply and Demand Information and Views
For rugby, the supply of pitches and the demand for pitches is measured through the use of match
equivalents to ensure that a comparison is possible. To fully understand activity on a site, consideration is
given to both;
the adequacy of pitch provision over the course of a week; and
capacity of a site to meet additional demand at peak time.
For rugby, this analysis is based upon the following principles;
Capacity over the course of a week
The RFU sets a standard number of match equivalent sessions that natural grass pitches should be able to
sustain without adversely affecting their current quality (pitch carrying capacity). This is based upon the
drainage system installed at the site and the maintenance programme used to prepare the pitches. The
guideline theoretical capacity for rugby pitches is summarised in Table 6.3.
Table 6.3 – Theoretical Pitch Capacity Ratings (RFU)
Maintenance
Poor (M0) Standard (M1) Good (M2)
Dra
inag
e
Natural Inadequate (D0) 0.5 1.5 2
Natural Adequate (D1) 1.5 2 3
Pipe Drained (D2) 1.75 2.5 3.25
Pipe and Slit Drained (D3) 2 3 3.5
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 75
Based upon the installed drainage and the maintenance regime applied, pitches at Blackburn RUFC are
classified as M1/D2 and can therefore sustain 2.5 games per pitch.
Peak Time Demand
To identify spare capacity at peak time, the number of match equivalent sessions at peak time is
measured against the number of match equivalent sessions available. In Blackburn, all activity except
senior participation is focused on Sundays as follows:
Senior mens rugby union - Saturday PM
Youth rugby union - Sunday AM
Mini/midi rugby union - Sunday AM
U18-U19 yrs ‘Colts’ rugby union –Sunday PM
Table 6.4 therefore provides a summary of activity at each site (excluding Westholme School, which is not
available for community use). At first glance, it indicates that
Pitches at Blackburn RUFC are relatively heavily used and may suffer deterioration in quality as a
result of this over the longer term. In general, pitches at the club base are sustaining the level of
activity that their quality suggests they should be
Match play is spread across the weekend and there is availability at peak time, with capacity to
accommodate an additional 2 matches per week
There is scope to accommodate additional use on pitches at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School.
Table 6.4 however reveals that while pitch provision at Blackburn RUFC is sufficient to meet demand
overall, this is not as clear cut, as there is an inbalance between training activity and match play. In reality,
all training activity is focused on pitch 5 and this pitch consequently experiences significant overuse, while
the remaining four pitches accommodate levels of play that they are more than able to sustain. This is
summarised in Table 6.5 and explains the poor quality of the training pitch in comparison to other
pitches.
There is therefore additional capacity to accommodate ad hoc use of the match pitches for tournaments
and representative games but concerns over the impact of the high amount of play on pitch 5. This issue
was also raised by the rugby club, who believe that training could be better accommodated by an on site
AGP which would not be impacted by high usage in the same way that the grass pitches are.
The club also indicate that while they believe the quality of other existing pitches is adequate, there
remains scope to improve them further. The changing accommodation is however poor and the ceiling
has recently collapsed and is need of significant investment. The clubhouse also requires a programme of
investment to bring it up to required standards.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment
76
Table 6.4 – Site Specific Usage at each site
Sit
e
Co
mm
un
ity U
se
Cate
go
ry
Qu
ali
ty
Cu
rren
t C
arr
yin
g
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity U
se
Cu
rren
t C
om
mu
nit
y
Use
Dif
fere
nce
Co
mp
ari
son
Exte
nt
of
an
y S
pare
Cap
acit
y f
or
Co
mm
un
ity U
se
Du
rin
g t
he P
eak
Peri
od
Key I
ssu
es
an
d
Vie
ws
Queen
Elizabeth's
Grammar School
Playing Fields
(QEGS)
Available
for
communit
y use but
not used
(Secured)
Good 2 0 2
Potentiall
y able to
accomm
odate
some
additiona
l play
Pitch not used at all at
weekend - can
accommodate peak
period play
Pitch used for curricular purposes only. Existing levels of
play by the school mean that there is limited scope to
provide community use, although the pitches are
available for rent. Up to two matches per week could be
accommodated and pitches are not used at all over the
weekend (peak periods). Pitch quality is good, although
some recent issues with a rising water table mean that
drainage is poorer than in recent seasons. A full changing
accommodation block supports the pitches.
Blackburn RUFC
Available
for
communit
y use and
used
(Secured)
1 pitch
good, 3
pitches
standar
d and 1
pitch
poor
12.5 9.75 2.75
Potentiall
y able to
accomm
odate
some
additiona
l play
At least 2 pitches
available at peak time
for the club, which is
currently Sunday
morning (assuming that
midi teams share
pitches).
The stock of 5 pitches means that there is availability for
further play at peak times (2 pitches available) and the
pitches as a whole are able to sustain further play across
the week. Quality assessments however reveal inbalances
of use – pitch 5 is heavily used while pitches 1 – 4 have
potential to accommodate further play. The club have
aspirations to improve clubhouse and playing pitches -
the changing accommodation at the clubhouse is poor
and the ceiling has recently collapsed, meaning that
significant investment is required.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 77
Table 6.5 – Activity at Blackburn RUFC
Activity Match Equivalents Pitches Used
Adequacy of
Supply (Spare
Capacity)
Comment
Match Play
4.75 (each team plays
home every other week). It
should be noted that there
is also ad hoc use of the
pitches for other activities
– NW tournaments etc.
Pitches 1 – 4. Capacity
– 10 Match
equivalents per week
10 – 4.75 = 5.25
Match pitches used
below level that they
can sustain
Training
5 (all teams train once,
plus use of pitch by
Lancashire U18).
Pitch 5 - Capacity –
2.5 Match equivalents
per week
2.5 – 5= -2.5
Training pitch is
overused – high
demand
Current Picture of Provision
Table 6.6 builds upon Table 6.4 and summarises the total capacity in the borough. It indicates that overall,
spare capacity is equivalent to 4.75 match equivalents per week (split between Blackburn RUFC and
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School). There is no community use of the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School
pitches currently however they provide scope to increase the level of activity should this be required.
Table 6.6 – Rugby Provision across Blackburn with Darwen
Site
Current
Community
Use
Current Carrying
Capacity for
Community Use
Balance
Extent of any Spare
Capacity for Community
Use During the Peak
Period
Blackburn with
Darwen 9.75 14.5 4.75
4 (match pitches able to
accommodate additional play
at Blackburn RUFC)
Displaced and Latent Demand
There is no evidence of displaced demand for rugby in the borough and limited latent demand although
Active People surveys suggest that there is potential to increase the rugby playing population by up to
20%, which would have significant impact upon demand for facilities.
Blackburn RUFC are however still seeking to recruit new members but believe that their location on the
edge of the town is not beneficial in helping to promote rugby to new players.
Future Picture
The future requirement for rugby pitches will be impacted upon by changes to the population profile, as
well as club specific aspirations and changing participation trends.
These issues are considered in turn in order to build an accurate picture of future demand.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 78
Population Change
While the population of Blackburn with Darwen is likely to increase (by 2.5% up to 2021 and by a further
2.16% up to 2026) changes to the population profile mean that the proportion of people within the age
groups most likely to play pitch sports will increase at a much slower rate.
Team Generation Rates (TGRs) indicate how many people in a specified age group are required to
generate one team. The application of TGRs to population projections enables the projection of the
theoretical number of teams that would be generated from population growth and provides an
understanding of future demand.
Table 6.7 summarises the current TGRs for rugby and projects the impact of population growth. It
indicates that;
there will be an overall decrease in the number of people aged between 19 and 45, the age groups
that typically play senior rugby. This decrease will however occur primarily in female age groups
and as such, participation is likely to remain in line with current levels. While this will increase
slightly by 2026, there will be no significant impact on demand;
the number of people aged between 13 and 18 will also decrease slightly but will have limited
impact upon demand
the highest growth will occur in age groups playing midi rugby. This will lead to the creation of an
additional midi team (0.125 match equivalents per week) by 2026.
Table 6.7 – Impact of Changes to the Population Profile
Sport and Age
Groups
Current
populatio
n in age
group
within
the area
Number
of teams
in age
group
within
the area
Current
TGR
Future
populatio
n in age
group
within
the area
(2021)
Future
popula
tion in
age
group
within
the
area
(2026)
Curren
t TGR
Potential
Change in
Team
Numbers in
Age Group
(Number of
Teams)
Current –
2021
Potential
Change
in Team
Numbers
in Age
Group
(Number
of
Teams)
Current -
2026
Rugby Union
Senior Men (19-
45yrs)
27598 4 4600 27638 28235 4600 0.0027 0.09
Rugby Union
Senior Women
(19-45yrs)
27108 0 0 25948 26508 0 0 0!
Rugby Union
Youth Boys (13-
18yrs)
6639 4 1660 6457 6596 1660 -0.119 -0.03
Rugby Union
Youth Girls (13-
18yrs)
6001 0 0 5928 6056 0 0 0
Rugby Union
Mini/Midi Mixed
(7-12yrs)
12335 6 2056 13825 14124 2056
0.72 0.87
In terms of pitch requirements, this means that changes to the population growth would result in;
demand for pitches from senior and youth teams remaining stable; and
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 79
a small requirement for an additional midi team (1/2 pitch on alternate weeks).
There will therefore remain more than sufficient pitches for competitive requirements, but pressures on
training facilities will remain unless the balance of pitch provision changes.
Changes in Participation Trends
While population growth will have little impact, the club has however experienced recent growth in
membership although they continue to experience difficulties recruiting players of school age (lack of
participation in schools) and retaining players when they reach 18. They believe that improved changing
and pitch facilities may help them to attract new players.
There is scope to increase competitive activity within the existing stock of facilities but ffurther growth in
participation would place additional pressures on the single training pitch, which is already heavily
overused. Club aspirations to create an AGP would provide a flexible way of accommodating training and
match play (assuming it was IRB accredited). In this instance, the increased capacity offered by the AGP
would mean that current and future training needs, as well as match play could be accommodated within
4 pitches.
Forthcoming Changes to Supply
A new rugby pitch is scheduled to open at Darwen Vale High School in 2014. While it is not predicted that
this will impact upon the activity of the club directly (as all club teams are based at the club site) this may
support promotion of rugby in Blackburn and consequently aid the recruitment of players and the growth
of club membership.
Key Issues
The key issues for rugby are summarised in Section 9.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 80
07
7. Hockey
Introduction
This section evaluates the adequacy of pitches for hockey and provides:
An overview of the supply of AGPs that are suitable for hockey
An outline of demand for hockey pitches across Blackburn with Darwen
An understanding of activity at individual sites in the borough
A picture of the adequacy of current provision across Blackburn with Darwen
The future picture of provision for hockey across Blackburn with Darwen.
Hockey in Blackburn with Darwen – An Overview
Pitch Supply
Hockey is almost exclusively played on AGPs. Guidance on AGPs (Sport England 2010) indicates the
following surfaces to be suitable for hockey:
Water Based (suitable for high level hockey)
Sand Filled (acceptable surface for hockey)
Sand Dressed (preferred surface for hockey)
Short Pile 3g (acceptable surface for non-competitive hockey).
Based upon the above criteria, there are six full sized pitches with approved surfaces for hockey and a
further seven small sized sand based pitches that can also be used for hockey. Of these pitches:
five of the six full sized pitches are open to the community. There is no pay and play access to the
AGP at Westholme School (and this pitch is not floodlit) although it is used by the hockey club for
junior training on occasion. Community access to the facilities provided is therefore good
All of the five full sized pitches that are formally available to the community for hockey are
managed by Blackburn with Darwen Council (including the school facilities). This means that long
term access to these facilities is guaranteed and there is control over the pitch surfaces that are laid
Just two of the small sided facilities are not currently accessible to the community.
Appendix G summarises the suitability of all AGPs for hockey. It outlines the age of each facility as well as
the overall quality of the pitch and any quality issues experienced. It indicates that on the whole the
quality of sand based AGPs is good and few quality issues are identified. Pitches at Witton Country Park
will however soon require replacement and the pitch at St Wilfrids High School is poor quality. The full
size pitch at Westholme School does not have floodlights. Some site specific concerns are raised in
relation to AGPs used by hockey clubs, and these are explored in Table 7.2.
The location of all AGPs is illustrated in Map 7.1. Facilities suitable for hockey are coloured in yellow. It
indicates that with the exception of the facility at Blackburn Central High School, facilities are primarily
located in the north and west of Blackburn town. The two sand based AGPs at Witton Country Park, as
well as the new sand based pitch at Witton Park High School are located in very close proximity to each
other.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 81
Map 7.1 –Distribution of AGPs suitable for hockey
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 82
Demand
Active People and Market Segmentation (Sport England)
The Active People Survey provides an indication of the types of people that play hockey and potential
latent demand. A summary is provided in Appendix E, but this analysis reveals that;
the profile of participants in hockey in Blackburn with Darwen is more varied than other sports,
with both female and male groups currently playing. Demand is primarily focused evenly across six
segments and is also geographically equitable; and
analysis suggests that there is relatively high latent demand in comparison to the amount of
people that currently play. Out of a total of 485 people who would be interested in playing hockey,
just 59% currently play. There is particular unmet demand from female segments, specifically
Leanne and Jackie. This suggests that there may be particular scope to increase participation in
hockey in the borough.
Current Participation
There are two hockey clubs running a total of 11 teams. Table 7.1 summarises the teams in each club and
outlines the number of hours that they use pitches. The usage is based upon the assumption that each
team plays alternate home and away games. It indicates that;
ten of the 11 teams are based at Pleckgate High School (Blackburn Northern Hockey Club) which is
owned and managed through a partnership between the school, the hockey club and Blackburn with
Darwen Council and maintained by Balfour Beattie. The partnership agreement provides the club with
access to the pitch (free of charge) on a Wednesday for training and for competitive fixtures at the
weekend.
Blackburn Northern HC offers the full spectrum of development opportunities from junior through to
senior teams. This club, which has yet to be formally named, has relatively recently evolved from the
merger of Blackburn Northern Hockey Club (which contained mens teams) with Clitheroe Ladies Hockey
Club. The club are also now beginning to develop youth teams
The only other club in the borough (Witton Warriors) runs just one ladies team in the Central Lancashire
Women’s Hockey League and was established in 2007. They play at Witton Park.
Table 7.2– Hockey Teams in Blackburn with Darwen
Club
Sport and Age Groups
Number of
teams in age
group within
the area
Match
Equivalents
(Competitive
Fixtures)
Venue
Blackburn
Northern /
Clitheroe
Ladies / East
Lancs Pumas
Hockey Senior Men (16-55yrs) 2
7.5 – 10 hours
per week
Pleckgate High School /
Blackburn Northern
Hockey Senior Women (16-55yrs) 5
Hockey Junior Boys (11-15yrs) 2
Hockey Junior Girls (11-15yrs) 1
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 83
Witton
Warriors
Hockey Senior Women 1 2 hours Witton Country Park
Training Needs
Blackburn Northern HC train at the club base on a Wednesday evening (as stipulated by the agreement).
Times are staggered, with junior training taking place and then senior training following. This usage is
currently equivalent to 3 hours per Wednesday evening. Witton Warriors have fitness training on a
Monday in Burnley, but also train at Witton Park on a Tuesday from 6.30pm – 8pm, meaning that training
usage is equivalent to 1.5 hours per week. Blackburn Northern also make ad hoc use of Westholme
School for junior training.
Educational Demand
Educational use of AGPs takes place outside of peak hours and there is therefore no impact upon the
availability of the facilities for community hockey (as the artificial surface means that AGPs are not
impacted upon by levels of use in the same way that grass pitches are).
School participation can however have a knock on impact on demand for hockey in the borough.
Pleckgate High School, St Wilfrids, St Bedes and Westholme School, all of whom have their own pitches,
play hockey currently and both Westholme School and St Wilfrids also book pitches at Witton Country
Park on occasion. There is also a small amount of QwickSticks hockey in primary schools, suggesting that
there are strong foundations for the sport and potential to increase club membership through school
club links.
The Premier League 4 Sport (PL4S) project started in September 2009 and is now active in Blackburn, in
partnership with Blackburn Northern Hockey Club. Delivered by the Premier League, Sport England and
the Youth Sport Trust, Premier League Clubs act as a hub linked to community sports facilities, which in
turn are linked to local secondary schools to create satellite sports centres. The presence of this scheme at
two secondary schools in Blackburn is already successful and is likely to generate increased participation
in hockey over the near future. The club are also working with 2 schools outside the Blackburn with
Darwen boundaries.
Assessing the Supply and Demand Information and Views
The adequacy of AGPs to accommodate demand for hockey, taking into account both training and
competitive fixtures is discussed below. Demand for football is also considered as while hockey teams
cannot use facilities designed for football (3g pitches), sand based surfaces are acceptable for football
training and hockey clubs can face extensive competition in accessing pitches.
Situation at Individual Sites
As set out in Section 4, supply and demand of AGPs is measured by considering;
the amount of play that a site is able to sustain (based upon the number of hours that the pitch is
accessible to the community during peak periods up to a maximum of 34 hours per week). Peak
periods have been deemed to be Monday to Thursday 17:00 to 21:00; Friday 17:00 to 19:00 and
Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 17:00.
the amount of play that takes place (measured in hours);
whether there is any spare capacity at the site based upon a comparison between the capacity of
the site and the actual usage; and
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 84
any other key issues relating to the site which have arisen through consultation.
To ensure that issues for hockey are fully taken into account however, as well as evaluating usage over
the week, capacity at peak time should also be considered. EH guidance suggests that no AGP should be
considered able to sustain more than 4 games on any one day.
Table 7.2 therefore provides a summary of activity at each site that is suitable for hockey.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment
85
Table 7.2 – Site Specific Usage
Site Quality
Current
Carrying
Capacity
for
Community
Use
Current
Community
Use
Difference *Comparison
Extent of
Availability
Midweek
Evenings
Availability
Saturday /
Sunday
Key Issues and Views
Blackburn
Central
High School
Good 21 5 16
Potentially able
to accommodate
some additional
play
8
9.00 - 13.00
/ 10.00 -
14.00pm.
No current
use
New site (2013) opened for this season (end
of August). Floodlit and full changing. Access
via steep steps. Significant potential to
increase use of facility both midweek and
weekends. Spare capacity for both midweek
training. Current limited opening hours would
restrict match play for hockey at peak time
Blackburn
Northern Good 33 25.5 7.5
Potentially able
to accommodate
some additional
play
2
Up to 7
hours use
Saturday
Pitch was also used last year 10 x 2 hour
bookings for JDC and JAC (Friday evening).
Location of players means that this is not
required this year. Pitch quality good, but club
would like closer toilets and changing and a
shelter. Equipment (goals) in need of
updating. Pitch shared with football and is
also heavily used by the school during the
day. Existing agreement is for club use
Wednesday evenings and weekends. As well
as hockey use, pitch also used for football - a
small amount of football training and several
hours casual use, as well as small sided
league. There is limited scope for additional
play as it is booked on midweek nights and
required for weekends for hockey. Almost at
capacity on a Saturday (hockey) but scope for
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 86
Site Quality
Current
Carrying
Capacity
for
Community
Use
Current
Community
Use
Difference *Comparison
Extent of
Availability
Midweek
Evenings
Availability
Saturday /
Sunday
Key Issues and Views
further competitive play on Sunday. Any
expansion of hockey requirements midweek
may see displacement of football matches to
other sites.
Westholme
School Good 0 0 0
No use
Saturday
Lack of floodlights would mean that facility
would be suitable for competitive fixtures
only. Not formally available for use although
some known access by the hockey club
Witton
Country
Park
Standard 68 49 19
Potentially able
to accommodate
some additional
play
3
2 hours
Saturday
use (when
hockey club
are at
home).
Other ad
hoc
bookings, 2
hours
Sunday use
Pitches used mainly for football, but home
venue of Witton Warriors Hockey Club.
Extensive availability for expansion of club
activities during the weekend (Competitive
fixtures). More limited availability in midweek
if further training slots were required. Pitch
also used for American Football
Witton Park
High School
Business &
Enterprise
College
Good 21 15 6
Potentially able
to accommodate
some additional
play
0
9.00 - 13.00
/ 10.00 -
14.00pm.
No current
use
Although pitch is sand based, it is only used
for football and there is no use at weekends.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 87
Current Picture of Provision
Table 7.2 indicates that there is some spare capacity at all sand based hockey pitches across the borough.
The majority of this is at the weekend (and could therefore be used for competitive hockey fixtures) as
with the exception of the pitch at Pleckgate High School (Blackburn Northern) and use by the Witton
Warrior Hockey Club of Witton Park, there is little other use of AGPs at weekends.
Capacity during the week is however much more restricted, particularly at full sized pitches. Table 7.3
builds upon the site specific overviews and presents the total picture for the borough.
Table 7.3 – Hockey Usage of AGPs
Capacity of full
sized sand
based pitches
across the
borough
(Number of
Hours)
Total Community
Use of Sand Based
Pitches (Number
of Hours)
Unused
capacity
(Number of
hours)
Spare Capacity
Midweek
(Number of
Hours)
Weekend
Availability
Total Use by
Hockey
143 94.5 48 13 35 10%
Westholme School excluded due to ad hoc nature of community use
Tables 7.2 and 7.3 reveal that;
unused capacity is relatively limited during the week, but there is extensive capacity at weekends
(Witton Country Park – only hockey usage at weekends), Blackburn Central 8 hours), Witton Park
High (6 hours), Blackburn Northern (3 hours on a Sunday)
Just 10% of the total use of AGPs is by the two hockey clubs
Capacity midweek is available at Blackburn Central (8) and Witton Country Park.
This suggests that while there is scope to meet demand for matches (with only Pleckgate High School /
Blackburn Northern approaching capacity at weekends), there is less capacity to accommodate additional
midweek training should this be required. While there are many small sided AGPs that could fulfil a role
for training, the amount of football activity means that there are few free hours on full sized sand based
AGPs that could be used for hockey.
Reflecting the above findings, the existing club facility at Blackburn Northern is considered adequate for
club needs by both EH and the club itself. The club do not envisage a requirement for additional facilities
in the short term, although if successful in their recruitment strategy, may need to increase the hours that
they access the pitch for training (and extend beyond a Wednesday evening). As there are few free hours
available, requirement for training from hockey clubs may therefore lead to the displacement of football
clubs. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the opening hours of most AGPs at weekends would
restrict the potential to accommodate competitive hockey fixtures meaning that despite spare capacity,
opportunities may be more limited than theoretical figures may suggest.
The facilities available at Witton Country Park also meet the needs of Witton Warriors HC, who use the
facility for circa 3 hours per week.
FPM Modelling
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 88
As set out in Section 4, analysis of the actual usage of pitches against the hours that they are available can
be compared with findings of the Sport England Facility Planning Model, a theoretical model based upon
national parameters. This indicates that for AGPs overall (also outlined in Section 4);
there is high satisfied demand (97.1% of demand is met);
the used capacity of AGPs across the borough is high (100%) – this suggests that there are limited
opportunities to accommodate additional play at the existing AGPs;
the relative share of pitches is above average (116 compared to the average of 100 across England
and also including adjoining LAs in Scotland and Wales). The relative share of pitches in the south
is slightly lower due to demand being pulled from the south; and
analysis of the geographical distribution of demand indicates that overall, unmet demand is
highest in the south but some demand in these areas is imported from the nearby local authorities
of Bolton and Bury.
Modelling therefore reveals that overall there is a good supply of combined AGPs to meet current and
latent demand. It does however confirm calculations undertaken on a more local level that most pitches
are operating at or near capacity. More specifically for hockey; the FPM indicates that;
there is a very slight deficiency in terms of the current supply/demand balance but in general, the
supply of facilities is adequate to meet demand;
reflecting this, there is a high level of satisfied demand (89.9%) and low level of unmet demand
(10.1%). Furthermore, although a high level of demand is exported (430 visits = 57.2%) into
neighbouring authorities, there is also a high level of imported demand (466 visits = 59.2%). A
slightly higher proportion of demand is imported rather than exported therefore;
used capacity at the existing facilities is high (100%), suggesting that there is limited scope to
accommodate additional play at existing sites within Blackburn with Darwen;
the relative share of AGP provision for hockey is slightly above the national average (101). Some of
the central and southern areas of the borough are however very slightly below average; and
like the overall picture, analysis of the aggregated unmet demand indicates that pressures are
highest in the south, but this is where demand is imported (from Bolton and Bury).
While overall across Blackburn with Darwen pitches the FPM indicates reaching capacity, it is clear that
these facilities are primarily used for football, and that there are more than sufficient pitches to
accommodate hockey requirements providing clubs have access to the facilities available.
Displaced Demand
Despite the FPM indicating that there is a significant degree of imported and exported demand for
hockey, there is no evidence of displaced demand in the borough currently. It should be noted however
that while teams formerly playing for Clitheroe Ladies are now formally part of the Blackburn Northern
Hockey Club, it is known that some of these players travel from outside of the borough, although the club
believe that the majority are within 2 -5 miles of the club base.
Latent Demand
The hockey club are actively seeking new members and have seen a recent increase in the number of
members due to the coaching strategy as well as the merger and it is hoped that membership will
continue to grow.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 89
Active People and Market Segmentation (earlier in this section) however indicated that there is a relatively
significant amount of latent demand in the borough (potential to increase participation by 41%).
Alongside club development aspirations, there may therefore be opportunities to increase participation in
the borough through sports development initiatives targeting those in the market segments that have
expressed an interest in participating but do not currently do so.
Future Picture of Provision
The future requirement for AGPs for hockey will be impacted upon by several things, including population
growth, changes to the demographic profile, club development and evolving participation trends.
These issues are considered in turn in order to build an accurate picture of future demand.
Population Change
Analysis in Section 3 indicated that while the population of Blackburn with Darwen is likely to increase (by
2.5% up to 2021 and by a further 2.16% up to 2026) changes to the population profile mean that the
proportion of people within the age groups most likely to play pitch sports will increase at a much slower
rate.
Team Generation Rates (TGRs) indicate how many people in a specified age group are required to
generate one team. By applying TGRs to population projections, we can project the theoretical number of
teams that would be generated from population growth and gain an understanding of future demand.
Table 7.4 summarises the implications of population growth and reveals that because of relatively low
levels of hockey participation;
there will be minimum change in the amount of people in age groups playing senior hockey
despite population growth, meaning that demand will remain stable; and
the number of people aged between 11 and 15 will increase slightly but this will not be sufficiently
substantial to generate an increase in the number of teams.
Table 7.4 – Impact of Changes to the Population Profile
Sport and Age
Groups
Current
population
in age
group
within the
area
Number
of
teams
in age
group
within
the area
Current
TGR
Future
population
in age
group
within the
area
(2021)
Future
population
in age
group
within the
area
(2026)
Potential
Change in
Team
Numbers in
Age Group
(Number of
Teams)
Current -
2021
Potential
Change
in Team
Numbers
in Age
Group
(Number
of
Teams)
Current -
2026
Hockey Senior Men
(16-55yrs)
31042 2 15521 30811 31477
-0.015
0.03
Hockey Senior
Women (16-55yrs)
39575 6 6595 38246 39072 0.11
-0.08
Hockey Junior Boys
(11-15yrs)
5218 2 2609 5496 5615
0.11
0.15
Hockey Junior Girls 4881 1 4881 5225 5338
0.07
0.09
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 90
(11-15yrs)
This means that, according to TGRs, and based upon current participation rates, changes to the
population growth would result in demands for pitches remaining stable.
The small number of participants in hockey however means that TGRs do not necessarily provide the
most appropriate means of forecasting growth and efforts to increase participation may have a much
more significant impact.
Reflecting this, the recent merger of the club has created an increase in participation and there are
significant aspirations to further increase membership (noticeably though the creation of strong
relationships with schools - Pleckgate, St Wilfrids and Westholme). In addition, Blackburn Rovers
Community Sports Trust have identified hockey as one of their priority sports for this year and this will
see the work of the Trust, linking with the club, to promote and encourage hockey development. This will
include competitions against other similar teams (for example Everton FC Hockey team) and is anticipated
to raise awareness of hockey in the borough significantly.
EH affiliation data suggests that a growth rate of 4% per annum provides a realistic understanding of the
likely growth in participation over the strategy period.
Club consultation demonstrates that there are circa 120 club members playing hockey in Blackburn with
Darwen, forming a total of 11 teams. If this were to increase at a rate of 4% per annum;
By 2026, there would be 207 players
By 2031 – participation would have increased to 253 players.
Assuming the same ratio of players to teams, this means participation may increase to 19 teams by 2026
and to 23 teams by 2031. This is double the quantity of play that currently takes place and may therefore
require up to 24 hours of usage per week.
While there is capacity to accommodate significant additional demand within the existing pitch stock at
weekends, there is more limited spare capacity at midweek, with only the new pitch at Blackburn Central
School having extensive availability. If these aspirations to increase participation are achieved, at least
two sand based hockey surfaces would be required by 2026 and in all likelihood, 3 would be needed by
2031 to accommodate matches, and training activity midweek.
Forthcoming Changes to Supply
There are no known further plans that will impact upon the supply of AGPs.
Summary and Key Issues – AGPs for Hockey
The key issues for hockey are summarised in section 9.
.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 91
08
8.Bowls
This section evaluates the adequacy of facilities for bowls and considers:
The supply of greens and demand for these greens
The adequacy of greens
Summary and Issues to address
Supply
The outdoor bowling greens across Blackburn with Darwen are set out in Table 8.1. There are 28 greens
located on 23 sites. Three sites contain more than one green – Corporation Park, Roe Lee Park and Green
Park.
Table 8.1 - Bowling greens in Blackburn with Darwen
Site
Number
of
Greens
St Stephens Conservative Club 1
Blackburn Subscription 1
Witton Park Bowls Club, Pleasington Street 1
Dugdale Bowling Club 1
Highfield Park 1
Feniscowles Memorial Ground 1
Butlers Arms 1
Railway Hotel 1
Alexandra Hotel (East Lancashire Club) 1
Anchor Road (Crown Paints Bowling Club, Darwen) 1
Sandy Lane (Lower Darwen Recreation Ground) 1
Higher Croft Road (Lower Darwen Memorial) 1
Everton Street 1
Whitehall Park 1
Anyon Street (Darwen Subscription) 1
Olive Park, Darwen 1
Cherry Tree Bowling Club (formerly Voith Mill Bowling Club) 1
Edgworth Bowling Club 1
East Lancs Bowling Club 1
Corporation Park 2
Roe Lee Park 3
Green Park 3
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 92
The total provision represents a decrease in the number of bowling greens identified in the previous
Playing Pitch Strategy as several greens are now redundant, specifically;
Audley Lane
Queen's Park
Burnley Road
In addition, both Green Park and Roe Lee Park contained disused bowling greens alongside the facilities
that are still managed and maintained.
Until recently, Blackburn with Darwen Council was responsible for the management and maintenance of
12 bowling greens and the remainder were private facilities. With the exception of Green Park, all bowling
greens managed by the Council were handed over to clubs at the beginning of the 2013 season (on a
lease) and clubs now control the management and maintenance of these facilities, although they benefit
from financial contributions from the Council. It is anticipated that the same will take place at the Green
Park site in the short term.
Demand
From the Active People Survey and Market Segmentation data (explained in Section 3), it is possible to
evaluate the proportion of the population that do participate in bowls and how many people would like
to participate in bowls and how this varies across the authority.
The key findings of this analysis reveal that;
the profile of participants in bowls in Blackburn with Darwen is much focused towards older
segments of the population than all other sports considered. The key participants are Elsie and
Arnold, Frank, Roger and Joy and participation is higher in the Fensicowles and Pleasington area
than in other parts of the borough
there is relatively limited latent demand in comparison to the amount of people that currently play
– 80% of those residents that expressed an interest in playing bowls are currently playing. Those
that would like to play but do not currently do so fall into the same groups as those that already
play.
Further detail is provided in Appendix E.
Current Participation
There are bowling clubs located at all active greens in the borough running a total of 125 teams. There
are a multitude of leagues covering the area and most clubs have teams in more than one league.
Many of the clubs in the borough are affiliated to the Blackburn Bowls Partnership, which provides a
forum for knowledge sharing as well as the promotion of bowls as a sport across the borough. This group
has successfully engaged with many schools in the borough, although there has been more limited
success in terms of the transition of young people into clubs.
Table 8.2 summarises the clubs that play within the Borough, the green that they use and the leagues that
they play in.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 93
Table 8.2 – Bowling Clubs in Blackburn with Darwen
Site
Number
of Greens
Approximate
Number of
teams Leagues
Alexandra Hotel (East
Lancashire Club) 1 2 Darwen and Blackburn Leagues
Anchor Road (Crown Paints
Bowling Club, Darwen) 1 4 Darwen Vets and Darwen Leagues
Anyon Street (Darwen
Subscription) 1 3
Darwen and Blackburn Leagues, Nomads
League
Blackburn Subscription 1 6
Blackburn Senior Citizens, Darwen and
Blackburn Leagues, Ladies League
Butlers Arms 1 7
Darwen and Blackburn Leagues, Darwen
Vets, Ladies League, Nomads League
Cherry Tree Bowling Club
(formerly Voith Mill Bowling
Club) 1 6
Blackburn Senior Citizens, Darwen and
Blackburn Leagues, Ladies League
Corporation Park 2 10
Darwen Vets, Blackburn Senior Citizens,
Darwen and Blackburn Leagues, Nomads
League
Dugdale Bowling Club 1 5
Blackburn Senior Citizens, Blackburn
League, Ladies League
East Lancs Bowling Club 1 7
Darwen Vets and Darwen and Blackburn
Leagues, Nomads League, Great Harwood
League
Edgworth Bowling Club 1 7
Turton, Ramsbottom, municipal league,
Darwen Vets and Darwen League
Everton Street 1 6
Darwen Vets, Darwen Leagues, Ladies
League and Blackburn League
Feniscowles Memorial
Ground 1 10
Darwen Vets, Blackburn Senior Citizens,
Darwen and Blackburn Leagues, ladies
league
Green Park 3 11
Darwen Vets, Blackburn Senior Citizens,
Darwen and Blackburn Leagues, ladies
league
Higher Croft Road (Lower
Darwen Memorial) 1 6
Darwen Vets and Blackburn and Darwen
Leagues, Nomads League, Great Harwood
League
Highfield Park 1 3
Blackburn Senior Citizens and Blackburn
leagues
Olive Park, Darwen 1 5 Darwen Vets and Darwen Leagues
Railway Hotel 1 5
Darwen and Blackburn leagues, ladies
league
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 94
Site
Number
of Greens
Approximate
Number of
teams Leagues
Roe Lee Park 3 9
Blackburn Senior Citizens, Darwen and
Blackburn Leagues, Ladies League, Great
Harwood League
Sandy Lane (Lower Darwen
Recreation Ground) 1 7
Darwen Vets and Blackburn and Darwen
Leagues, Nomads League, Great Harwood
League
St Stephens Conservative
Club 1 4
Blackburn Senior Citizens, Darwen and
Blackburn Leagues.
Whitehall Park 1 9
Darwen and Blackburn Leagues, Ladies and
Darwen Veterans, Nomads League
Witton Park Bowls Club,
Pleasington Street 1 6
Blackburn and Darwen League, Blackburn
Senior Citizens, Great Harwood League
Turton Bowls Club 3
Darwen Leagues, Turton Bowling League,
Nomads League
Views
Key issues arising from consultations and site visits highlighted the following as the main areas of
concern;
maintenance and qualitative improvements;
long term sustainability following the recent transfer of several bowling greens from Council
management and maintenance to club based leases;
recruitment and retention of younger and junior members to ensure longevity for clubs and the
sport of bowling. Just Edgworth Bowls Club and Corporation Park Bowls club currently operate
junior sections; and
challenges in recruiting volunteers for maintenance and administration.
While activity at bowling greens is relatively high, almost all clubs have capacity to accommodate further
members.
Green Quality
Chart 8.1 summarises the quality scores achieved through site visits. It indicates that the quality of greens
is relatively consistent across most criteria, with provision for spectators and the bowling green surrounds
the key area for improvement. Most greens were in use at the time of site visit (or being prepared for
matches) and it was clear that they are well valued by those that use the facilities.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 95
Chart 8.1: Quality Scores for Bowling Greens
As can be seen from Chart 8.1, most greens in Blackburn with Darwen were described as being in good
condition. The range of scores was relatively limited, with a sites achieving scores of between 62% and
92%. For those sites that were rated more poorly, the key areas of concern were;
Overgrown surrounds
Rusty railings
Poor paths
More limited pavilions.
Several greens were also showing signs of wear, although this was largely due to the time of the season
that the greens were visited (towards the end of the bowling season).
Accessibility
The age profile of participants in bowls means that access may be more important than for other sports
and many may expect local facilities, or require greens that are accessible by public transport. Map 8.1
therefore illustrates the location of each of the greens and includes a 3 mile catchment area around each
green.
It indicates that most residents are within a 3 mile catchment of at least one bowling green, and very few
have to travel further than this to reach a facility.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 96
Map 8.1 - Bowling Greens in Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 97
Meeting Current and Future Demand
There are no supply and demand models for bowling greens and it is therefore not appropriate to assess
demand by applying the methodology used by other sports or by the use of TGRs.
Adoption of a historic Sports Council standard of 10 greens per 60,000 people (Planning for Sport 1970)
would give a requirement of circa 24 greens across Blackburn with Darwen based on a population of
148,000 (current figures). Existing provision is above this standard and added to this, there are several
bowling greens that are not currently used.
There is no evidence based upon current participation that there is demand for additional facilities. While
some greens are relatively heavily used, most clubs have capacity for additional members, and the
flexibility of fixtures means that there is scope to accommodate more teams on existing greens.
Assuming that each green can take at least six matches per week (12 teams assuming that teams play
home and away alternately), based upon the number of teams run, no greens are at capacity.
Although there is sufficient capacity currently, the ageing population suggests that the number of people
who may have the propensity to participate in bowls is likely to grow in future years. There will be
significant growth in the number of residents falling into the older age groups by 2021 and further
increase by 2026. The potential impact of this is summarised in Table 8.3. It must be noted that these
figures are based upon the assumption that bowls players fall into the age group of 60+. While it is
recognised that this is not entirely accurate, membership figures, consultation and the Sport England
Market Segmentation indicate that this enables a realistic estimate of future participation to be
undertaken.
Table 8.3 - Calculation of Potential Growth in Bowls
Table 8.3 therefore indicates that assuming participation rates remain constant, demand for bowls is likely
to increase by 81 players as a direct result of population growth. Assuming that membership of all greens
is even, this would mean a membership of 35 players at each bowling club currently, increasing to 37. This
is a more than manageable level of membership and offers significant scope for expansion.
Current Situation
Area considered Calculation
Current Population Aged 60+ 27458
Current Participants in Bowls (Active People) 927
% of Current Population Participating in Bowls 3.3%
Future Situation based upon above figures (2021)
Future Population aged 60+ 29923
Assumed Future Population in Bowls (participation
remains constant)
3.3%
Potential Future Participants in Bowls 987
Future Situation based upon above figures (2026)
Future Population aged 60+ 30569
Assumed Future Population in Bowls (participation
remains constant)
3.3%
Potential Future Participants in Bowls 1008
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 98
This suggests therefore that there is sufficient stock to of facilities to meet current and future demand,
based on existing participation rates. Indeed, higher levels of membership are likely to be a key way of
maximising the sustainability of clubs as increased numbers of members will bring with it higher levels of
income, which will be required to support the management and maintenance of greens.
Future participation in bowls is only likely to grow significantly if a more aggressive approach to
recruitment is taken by clubs and governing bodies. Most clubs do little marketing of existing
opportunities outside of word of mouth and leafleting currently and there has been little growth in the
sport, with some who have been involved in the sport in the area for years expressing concerns about the
decline in the number of members, and in the number of teams entered into league and cup fixtures.
If marketing / promotion was to be successful and latent demand and participation increases were
realised, demand could increase significantly but it is likely that the existing stock of facilities would
remain sufficient.
Key Issues
The key issues for bowls are set out in Section 9.
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 99
08
9. Summary and Key Issues
Introduction
This section brings together the findings for each sport set out in Sections 4 – 8 and summarises the key
issues emerging for each sport. It also highlights where there are issues or overlaps between sports.
Football
Supply
There are 107 football pitches, 68% of which are available for the community – this is a
relatively high proportion
Only 10% of pitches are not secured for community use (all are located at primary
schools). Almost all secondary school facilities are managed by Blackburn with Darwen
Council, providing a good level of facilities that are accessible to the community.
33% of pitches are adult sized while the remainder cater for junior and mini soccer
There is a reliance upon Council pitch provision – the Council is the primary owner and
manager of facilities
The pitch stock is characterised by large sites, particularly those sites owned and
managed by the Council. These larger sites serve people across the borough and residents
travel to use the facilities
In addition to the existing pitches, there are seven former playing fields, and additional
pitches closed on Pleasington Playing Fields. These sites offer the potential to provide
additional facilities should the need arise
Pitch quality varies significantly and there are differences in quality within specific sites
as well as across the borough. 27% of football pitches have been rated as poor and 30%
of pitches as good. Drainage and playing surface are the most frequently occurring issues
identified both through on site evaluation and local consultation
The quality of pitches is noticeably lower at sites managed by Blackburn with Darwen
Council than other providers – this has a particular impact due to the reliance upon
Council pitches. Quality issues are attributed to maintenance procedures as well as issues
requiring capital investment to resolve them
The quality of changing accommodation is similarly varying. Few sites do not have
changing accommodation at all but the condition of some of the stock is poor
Pitch capacity is significantly influenced by quality issues, including at several large
Council facilities, where fewer games can be sustained than would otherwise be possible
due to the pitch surface and drainage conditions
Quality is the key concern arising through consultations with both users and providers –
pitches are perceived to be deteriorating and maintenance regimes are becoming more
limited
There are concerns about the sustainability of maintenance procedures longer term.
Demand
FA data suggests that participation is above the regional and national averages for
adult football although there is scope to increase the amount of mini and junior activity
There is a strong club structure, with many clubs offering a pathway from junior to
senior sport and large numbers of big clubs. The leagues are also very proactive and well
structured, facilitating high levels of participation. Recent participation trends indicate that
while adult participation has remained static or declined, there has been a more steady
increase in junior and mini football
Overall there are 217 teams playing regularly in competitions in the borough. 65% of
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 100
these teams are aged 16 and below. This is a similar proportion to the amount of pitches
of smaller size, suggesting that supply is well balanced with demand
There has been a recent decline in adult participation contrasting with a slight increase
in junior play. It is very evident that there has been significant movement towards larger
clubs and a reduction in the number of smaller teams
There are a small number of clubs with their own facilities (particularly pyramid clubs)
but clubs are largely reliant on Council facilities
There is limited use of venues that offer unsecured access to the community – just two
sites are used - (Roe Lee Park Primary School and Griffin Park Primary School)
Almost all schools have their own facilities and there is therefore limited impact of
educational demand on community use. Some sites do however not meet curricular
demand, including pitches at secondary schools that offer community use agreements.
Many schools indicating that improvements are required to facilities refer to the quality of
pitches available to them
There is a small element of displaced demand – Turton FC are travelling outside the
borough to play due to a lack of available pitches within Blackburn with Darwen
The Sport England Active People survey indicates that there is potential to increase
participation by 17% based upon the total population that would like to play. This
suggests that there is a degree of latent demand.
Adequacy of Provision
Site By Site Activity
Modelling of site by site activity reveals a clear imbalance in the levels of usage across
the Borough. While some sites are heavily used and overplayed, others receive more
limited use either due to the lack of quality of pitch or the ownership of the site (primarily
pyramid clubs)
An imbalance of play also exists within sites with some pitches (particularly those closer
to changing accommodation at large sites) receiving high levels of use while others being
used much less frequently. This is generally attributed to both the quality and the location
of the pitch (proximity to changing accommodation)
There is little spare capacity available across the borough as a whole, although there is
scope to increase the amount of play that takes place at the Council venues of Blacksnape
Playing Fields, Witton Country Park and Corporation Park.
Reflecting the limited spare capacity, several sites are overplayed, including Pleasington
Playing Fields, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Playing Fields (QEGS) Branch Road and
Sandy Lane, Roman Road Community Pitch, Pleckgate Playing Fields and Feniscowles and
Pleasington War Memorial Ground. Quality is particularly responsible for overplay on
Pleasington Playing Fields and Pleckgate Playing Fields, while on the whole, overplay at
other sites is largely caused by high demand from large clubs
Adult Pitches
There is a small amount of spare capacity on adult pitches (9.5 match equivalents) - the
majority of this is at private club sites (primarily those playing in the pyramid) and St
Marys College. Greenfield Community Centre is the only public venue with spare capacity.
There is overplay on Queen Elizabeth, Roman Road and Pleasington Playing Fields. The
capacity of both Pleasington Playing Fields and Pleckgate is hampered by pitch quality.
Investment is required to improve capacity of these pitches and the level of maintenance
is insufficient to cope with the amount of play, meaning that further deterioration in
quality is occurring. Many of the quality issues are attributed to the poor maintenance
regime, rather than quality issues per se
There is more limited availability on adult pitches at peak times (4.5 match equivalents).
More than half of this is at St Marys College – just 2 match equivalents are at public
venues. St Marys College is also used during the week for curricular purposes
Junior Pitches
The greatest pressures currently occur on junior pitches – caused by both high demand
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 101
and quality issues limiting pitch capacity. There is no spare capacity overall (overplay is
greater than unused capacity)
Overplay is focused at sites accommodating large clubs - Feniscowles and Pleasington
FC and Darwen Rangers. Added to this, teams from Turton FC are displaced due to a lack
of capacity at their home ground.
Most spare capacity exists at unsecured sites that are not used currently. Everton
Playing Fields is the only site with spare capacity not falling into this category – this is
managed by the league and therefore there is heavy use at peak times on league days
While in theory pitches at St Bedes RC High School, Darwen Vale High School,
Blackburn Central School and Witton Park High School are available for the community,
there is currently no capacity for community use as the quality of pitches means that sites
are only able to sustain curricular requirements. Quality of provision is therefore
significantly impacting upon available capacity in this instance. It is anticipated that
pitches at these sites become available later in 2014 (to be discussed later)
There are 6.5 match slots available at peak time – of this, 0.5 match equivalents are at
Everton Road Playing Fields while the remainder are all at sites that are unsecured for
community use
Excluding unsecured sites, peak time capacity is reduced to 1.5 match equivalents,
suggesting that supply is closely balanced with demand. There is no spare capacity across
the week and a requirement to relocate 3.5 match equivalent sessions that take place on
sites without formal access agreements
9v9 Pitches
7.5 match equivalent slots are available on 9 v 9 pitches, just 4 of which are at peak
time. There are no pitches at unsecured sites. This suggests again that capacity is relatively
restricted
Mini Pitches (7v7 and 5v5)
While there is enough spare capacity within the stock of mini pitches (26 match
equivalents), capacity is more limited at peak time, with 65% the spare capacity available
at Everton Playing Fields outside times when used by the East Lancs Youth Alliance league
(this site is leased by the league). Just 8 match equivalents are available at peak time
Other Issues
Compounding the problems at these sites with overuse and maintenance, many pitches
are located on public recreation grounds and are used for informal recreation. Along with
overlapping seasons for football and cricket, this means that there are limited
opportunities to carry out appropriate maintenance and pitch reinstatement. The majority
of pitches that are of higher quality are those that receive more limited usage and those
that do not accommodate informal use.
Concerns relating to quality do not focus exclusively on public pitches, with several
clubs managing and maintaining their own facilities raising issues with sustainability and
in particular in relation to maintenance programmes for private pitch sites. The cost of
maintenance was seen to be prohibitive and there is perceived to be a need for ongoing
investment into maintenance as well as capital investment into pitch quality issues
Population growth will generate 4 junior teams and 10 mini teams as well as 1 adult
team. While mini and adult play can just be accommodated within the existing pitch stock,
there are already insufficient junior pitches and therefore there will be future shortfalls of
provision
Added to this, clubs have significant aspirations to increase participation, equivalent to
24 new teams in the next five years, many of which will be in the junior age group.
Achievement of specific growth aspirations would reduce spare capacity on adult pitches
to 7.5 (2.5 at peak time) and mini pitch provision would become tightly constrained, as
well as junior pitches. The recent changes to the way that junior football is played mean
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 102
that the FA are confident that demand for football in the younger age groups will
continue to increase. Pilots have demonstrated improved team retention between the
younger age groups and this is likely to have a short and long term impact on demand,
placing further pressures on the existing pitch stock.
It is hoped that pitches equivalent of 9 junior matches per week and 6 senior matches
per week will open at BSF schools during 2014 (assuming quality issues are addressed).
The opening of these pitches will mean that current participation can be accommodated
but will not address future demand
Several clubs have also expressed an interest in managing and maintaining their own
facilities. Most are currently dispersed across several Council venues and would like to
relocate to a self contained site to support ongoing club development. This would require
the creation of new facilities.
AGPs for Football
Only two of the eight full sized AGPs are 3g, the preferred surface for football and there
are an additional 5 small sized 3g pitches. Darwen Vale High School (small sized 3g pitch)
is the only 3g pitch controlled by the Council. The full sized pitches are both owned and
managed by schools meaning that the Council is not in control of access to these facilities
The remaining AGPs are sand based (there are 6 full sized and several small sized
facilities) and there are 11 pitches at the Lucozade Soccer Dome. These pitches can be
used for football training but are not approved surfaces for competitive football.
Despite the emphasis on sand based provision, 90% of activity on AGPs at peak times is
football. The remaining 10% is hockey, but this is isolated to two sites – Blackburn
Northern / Pleckgate High School and Witton Country Park.
Across all of the full sized pitches that are available to the community, pitches are
operating at 68% capacity at peak time, which includes evenings and weekends. Almost all
spare capacity exists at weekends however and there are just 15 hours available midweek
across the whole pitch stock. Blackburn Central High School is the only site with
significant availability midweek and this is a new sand based pitch which had only just
opened when the assessment was undertaken. There is almost no spare capacity on the
3g pitches, which are the most popular for football teams
There is therefore limited capacity for further football training activity on full size
pitches during the week and the small number of 3g pitches means that there are few
opportunities to use AGPS for competitive fixtures at the weekend. Sport England Facility
Planning modelling (FPM) confirms that supply is closely matched with demand
While full sized pitches are reaching capacity, use of small sized pitches (with some
exceptions) is more limited and there is scope to accommodate numerous additional
teams) on these sites.
If participation was to increase significantly therefore, the capacity of existing full sized
AGPs may become constrained (if assumed that all teams would want to train). Increased
requirement for time for hockey training at Pleckgate High School (currently restricted to
Wednesdays), if required and granted, would also mean that some football use may be
diverted elsewhere.
Club consultation revealed that despite most pitches being at capacity, there are few
concerns about the amount of AGPs and few quality issues raised.
Football - Key Issues
The key issues for football can therefore be briefly summarised as;
Limited spare capacity for all types of pitches. Most notably;
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o Pressures on the stock of junior pitches (insufficient to meet both current demand and in
the longer term) which is generated by;
o High demand from junior teams, particularly the large clubs of Feniscowles and
Pleasington FC, Darwen Rangers FC, both of which are over capacity. Most large clubs are
dispersed across multiple sites
o Quality issues at school sites – new pitches are due to open during 2014, but there are
quality concerns at the sites currently (no community use available despite secured
agreements being in place)
Quality issues at adult pitches influencing pitch capacity - the quality issues experienced,
particularly those at Pleasington Playing Fields and Pleckgate (due to the scale of the sites) are
reducing the capacity of adult pitches. Overuse (in relation to the quality and capacity of the pitch) is
causing further deterioration of pitches. While the existing stock of adult pitches is sufficient to meet
current and future demand, current maintenance issues and pitch quality issues are building year on
year and pitch quality is inhibiting demand as well as restricting capacity
Even with investment to bring the quality of pitches up to required standards, the programme of
maintenance at public pitches is insufficient to cope with the levels of use and is further limited by the
multi use of sites for football and cricket. There are also gaps in communication between bookings
teams and maintenance providers. Without improvements to maintenance, even with capital
investment, pitch quality will continue to deteriorate and impact the overall stock of facilities. There
are also concerns about the sustainability of maintenance regimes at private pitches
Participation, particularly for juniors is continuing to increase and there are significant aspirations
for club development. Several clubs express concerns however about longer term sustainability
While there are enough AGPs overall, while 90% of use is football, only two full sized AGPs have a
3g surface, meaning that the remainder are more suited to hockey. There is a need to balance the
requirements of both sports. Just two pitches are currently used for hockey (Pleckgate High School
and Witton Country Park). The lack of 3g pitches inhibits the quality of the training that takes place
for football and means that there are limited opportunities to use AGPs for match play.
There is limited use of smaller sized AGPs
Some specific opportunities arise for football;
Improvements to pitch quality would improve the capacity of the stock of pitches – it is likely
however that capital investment would need to be made alongside improved maintenance
programmes
Several clubs have aspirations to manage their own facilities. The lease of pitches could provide
clear benefits to both the clubs and pitch providers
There are several former playing fields sites that are not currently used but could be brought back
into use to meet existing deficiencies
The conversion of existing sand based surfaces to 3g pitches may provide opportunities to
increase the number of facilities available for competitive football.
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Cricket
Supply
There are 19 non turf wickets across Blackburn with Darwen, of which just one is not
available for community use. There is therefore long term security that these facilities
will remain available
There are 9 grass squares, 3 of which (33%) are not available for community use – this is
a relatively high proportion of the total number of pitches
All facilities that are not available for community use are located at Queen Elizabeth
Grammar School (3 grass squares) and Westholme Independent School (1 non turf
wicket)
Blackburn with Darwen Council is the main provider of non turf wickets, while all grass
pitches open to the community are located at club bases. With the exception of Cherry
Tree CC, all clubs also have at least one non turf wicket which they use for training and
some junior play
There is one disused artificial wicket at Pleasington Playing Fields. There is also a former
cricket pitch at Pleckgate High School / Blackburn Northern which used to
accommodate a club which has since folded
Except pitches at Darwen CC, East Lancs CC and Edgworth CC, all cricket pitches are
used as football pitches on the outfield during the winter months. This can add to the
wear and tear of pitches and impact upon the ability to undertake maintenance relating
to both football and cricket pitches
Pitch quality overall at club bases is average but there are no poor quality facilities
although there are some site specific issues that need to be addressed.
Although functional, there are also quality issues with the non turf wickets and
particularly the associated outfields at Pleasington Playing Fields and Blacksnape
Playing Fields. Non turf wickets at Council facilities do not meet ECB guidelines
Demand
Participation in cricket is static although the small decline in adult participation
contrasts with a small increase in junior teams
66% of cricket teams are open aged male teams meaning that senior teams still
dominate the cricket landscape.
Two forms of the game currently taking place and there is currently little interaction
between them. 51% of teams are based at five clubs, while the remaining teams
participate in the midweek and weekend cricket leagues which use public pitches and are
not affiliated to the England and Wales Cricket Board
Anecdotally, demand is particularly increasing in the midweek and weekend leagues,
and facilities are starting to inhibit the ability to cope with this demand
Adequacy of Provision
Club Bases
Analysis of activity at the club bases, with the exception of Edgworth CC, indicates that
there is capacity to accommodate more play on grass wickets at all sites. The existing
facility at Edgworth CC is overplayed, but the non turf wicket is used as an overspill for
junior play. Feniscowles and Pleasington CC is also used to the level that the site can
sustain suggesting that there is limited opportunity for growth. The remaining clubs are
able to accommodate their existing levels of demand as well as aspirations to increase
participation and there is no requirement for second grounds (except Darwen CC who
have already secured a second ground). All clubs are however currently impacted by
quality issues, some of which are impacting upon capacity (East Lancs CC, Darwen CC).
Training is of greater concern. All clubs require updated training facilities either due to
poor quality (Darwen CC, Edgworth CC, East Lancs CC and Feniscowles CC) or a lack of
provision (Cherry Tree CC). A lack of training facilities impacts both potentially upon use
of the grass wicket, but also on the attractiveness of the club and an ability to compete at
a high level. For some clubs, a programme of refurbishment of the clubhouse is also
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 105
required.
Sustainability is perhaps the key challenge for clubs currently, with several indicating
that they are seeking to diversify in order to maintain their membership and to sustain the
current maintenance regimes.
Midweek and Weekend Leagues
Weekend and midweek leagues use artificial wickets at facilities owned and managed
by Blackburn with Darwen Council (Blacksnape Playing Fields and Pleasington Playing
Fields) and participation is therefore reliant upon this provision. Theoretical analysis of
activity at these sites suggests that there are more than sufficient wickets to
accommodate peak time demand, as well as activity over the season.
The quality of facilities however means that not all pitches are used - some wickets are
heavily used while others are hardly played and there is limited scope to increase cricket
as a result. As suggested by this, the quality of pitches is a significant issue for teams
(particularly at Pleasington Playing Fields). Issues vary on each pitch, but in general terms,
the key concerns relate to the evenness of the outfield, drainage issues, proximity to the
river and lack of shelter. Unless improvements are made to facilities that receive less use
(to enable more games to take place at one time), there is limited opportunity for growth.
Other Issues
Population growth will result in the addition of just 1 -2 junior teams and possibly a
senior cricket team based upon current participation rates. Growth of clubs could largely
be accommodated within existing structures however growth of the midweek and
weekend leagues may be inhibited by the quality of facilities and the restrictions that this
places upon the use of the pitches.
Clubs also have aspirations to increase participation and this could largely (with the
exception of Edgworth CC) be accommodated within the existing pitch stock. There is also
believed to be significant scope to further enhance participation in the Midweek and
Amateur leagues, if facilities allow.
Pleckgate High School are keen to reinstate the former Blackburn Northern Cricket Club
facility (located on the school site). There is no evidence of need for this facility from a
club perspective currently (or in future years) however this would fulfil a curricular benefit
for the school.
Key Issues to Address
The key issues to address can therefore be summarised as;
While all cricket pitches are currently valuable resources, there is no requirement for additional
pitches to meet current or projected future demand Population growth will however increase the
number of players and place additional demands on existing facilities.
There is a need for new / improved training facilities at club bases - Darwen CC, Edgworth CC, East
Lancs CC and Feniscowles CC (all improved )and Cherry Tree CC (new)
Added to this, quality issues at club sites (Darwen CC, East Lancs CC) are currently impacting upon
the quality of cricket that can be played
There is an inbalance in use of public cricket pitches, with some pitches regularly used, and other
pitches hardly used. This arises due to the quality of pitches and the desires of the league to avoid
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certain pitches due to the issues experienced. As a consequence, this impacts upon the capacity of
the league and also does not make the best use of resources
Many cricket pitches also function as football pitches and this causes issues with the maintenance
regime, with limited time for reinstatement, rest and recovery as well as out of season maintenance
Clubs raise concerns over long term sustainability
Rugby
Supply
Blackburn Rugby Club is the main site for rugby in the borough, containing five pitches. The
quality of pitches at the club is average to good, although the changing accommodation is
poor and the clubhouse also requires investment. There is a need for significant additional
investment if facilities are to be brought up to RFU quality standards. Just one pitch is floodlit,
and this is of significantly poorer quality than other pitches.
Outside of the club, there are only two other sites with rugby pitches – Queen Elizabeth
Grammar School and Westholme School. Neither are used for community rugby although the
pitches at the grammar school are available and of adequate quality
A new pitch will be opened at Darwen Vale High School in 2014 which will further add to the
stock of facilities.
Demand
Blackburn Rugby Club (the only club in the borough) is a large club which offers progression
from midi rugby through to seniors and veterans. It has 16 teams in total and owns its own
ground
The club has experienced recent growth although they continue to struggle to recruit
players at school age, and also suffer a drop off when players reach the age of 18. There is
relatively limited rugby played in schools within the borough which is thought to contribute
towards these issues. The club have however sought to build links with schools and higher and
further education establishments with a view to increasing this
Active People surveys indicate that 21% of those interested in rugby do not currently play,
suggesting that there is a small amount of latent demand that could be realised.
Adequacy of Provision
Taking into account all pitches available for community use, there is sufficient provision to
sustain the required level of play
At Blackburn RUFC specifically, where all community activity is currently focused, the
equivalent of 4.75 matches take place during the week and these matches are concentrated on
four pitches. With a capacity of circa 2.5 matches on each pitch, there is scope to increase play,
as well as availability to do so at peak time.
The training pitch is however very heavily used, sustaining a similar match equivalent level of
play per week as the amount spread across the other four pitches. This is the only pitch with
floodlights and therefore the only pitch that can be used for evening training. This pitch is
overused and quality deterioration experienced as a result.
The club recognise the concerns about the impact of training and have aspirations to create
an AGP to reduce the impact on the grass pitches and provide a more flexible way of
accommodating training and match play. An IRB accredited AGP would also be usable for
competitive fixtures. In this instance, the increased capacity offered by the AGP would mean
that current and future training needs, as well as match play could easily be accommodated
within 4 pitches. Otherwise, at least 4 pitches, two of which are floodlit are required to sustain
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Rugby
club activity.
Population growth alone will have little impact on demand for rugby, with just one
additional midi rugby team created. The club however have significant aspirations to continue
to grow participation and increased facilities may be required if these plans are achieved.
The club have concerns about the long term sustainability of their facility and are seeking to
improve clubhouse and changing facilities as well to improve the overall pitches available.
They believe that existing participation is inhibited by the location of facilities and the poor
quality of the existing site. They are currently reviewing options in partnership with the RFU to
identify a preferred solution.
Key Issues
Analysis therefore reveals that the key issues to address are;
Capacity of site– There is a need to address the inbalance of provision for matches and training.
Only one pitch is currently suitable for use and as a consequence is overused and of poor quality.
Quality of existing facilities – There is an identified need to improve the quality of existing changing
and clubhouse facilities and sustainability of the club site. This requires significant investment
Potential to increase participation.
Hockey
Supply
There are six full sized sand based pitches for hockey in Blackburn with Darwen. Only one of
these is not available for community use. The remainder are all controlled by Blackburn with
Darwen Council, so there is a good level of control over the surfaces that are provided. The
two 3g full sized pitches are not suitable for hockey activity
There are also several smaller sized sand based pitches which could be used for hockey
training
Facilities are primarily located in the north and west of Blackburn town. The two sand based
AGPs at Witton Country Park, as well as the new sand based pitch at Witton Park High School
are located in very close proximity to each other.
The quality of sand based AGPs is good and few quality issues are identified. Pitches at
Witton Country Park will however soon require replacement and the pitch at St Wilfrids High
School is poor quality. The full size pitch at Westholme School that is not available to the
community does not have floodlights – this limits the potential of this pitch to meet
community activity
The quality of smaller sized pitches is lower than the larger facilities and many are accessible
informally, meaning that they predominantly host recreational activity
While overall Blackburn Northern Hockey Club are happy with the quality of their facilities,
they raise some minor concerns with regards pitch surface and the need for new goalposts, as
well as aspirations for on site shelter.
Demand
There are 12 hockey teams, primarily based at Blackburn Northern Hockey Club (11 teams
across all age groups). The remaining team play at Witton Country Park
Blackburn Northern Hockey Club have a partnership arrangement with Pleckgate High
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Hockey
School, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Balfour Beattie allowing them access to the
Pleckgate High School facility free of charge at weekends and on a Wednesday evening while
Witton Warriors Hockey Club rent their facility – this means that while Blackburn Northern
have guaranteed access to their site, Witton Warriors are competing with football teams for
use of the site
Participation has recently increased, particularly influenced by the merger between
Blackburn Northern HC and Clitheroe Ladies. Increases in membership have been experienced
in all sections of the club
England Hockey has significant aspirations for the ongoing development of hockey, and
initiatives involving hockey currently underway are likely to see growth in participation.
Increases in demand may be felt in both formal hockey and in new forms of the game.
Blackburn Northern and England Hockey have recently successfully introduced the PL4S
programme to four school satellite centres (two within Blackburn with Darwen)
Analysis of recent affiliation data suggests that hockey participation may grow up to 4% per
annum. By 2031, this would see current participation double
Adequacy of Provision
Hockey usage is restricted to the 6 full sized sand based AGPs. 90% of activity on AGPs at
peak times is however football. Despite this, the majority of the pitch stock, and in particular
full size pitches, is sand based pitches. Football takes place across the pitch stock, which
hockey usage is isolated to two facilities – Blackburn Northern / Pleckgate High School and
Witton Country Park. This suggests that there is a potential imbalance in facilities.
Hockey usage over the course of the week is equivalent to just over 15 hours the majority of
which is at Pleckgate (Blackburn Northern Club). A large proportion of this play takes place at
weekends
Across the stock of AGPs, there is significant capacity to accommodate further competitive
hockey fixtures at the weekend (although Pleckgate / Blackburn Northern AGP is already well
used) however there is much more limited scope to extend midweek training hours due to the
competing demands from football. There is scope to accommodate further hockey at Witton
Country Park, and unmet demand at lots of AGPs over the weekend (peak period for
competitive fixtures). This means that while availability at peak times for hockey does not
constrain demand, capacity issues across the week limit opportunities for training
Significant increases in demand may therefore see opportunities for hockey restricted,
particularly if additional evening training slots are required
Population growth will have limited impact upon the demand for hockey. The recent merger
of the Blackburn Northern Hockey Club, as well as other initiatives by England Hockey to
increase participation are however likely to see growth of the club and a subsequent increase
in demand up to 4% per annum, which would see the amount of teams double
Projecting future demand, it is likely that match play could be accommodated within the
existing pitches but that additional capacity for training may need to be considered. It is in
midweek evenings where access to facilities is much more limited. At least two pitches
(potentially three by 2031) would be required for hockey usage if demand was to increase at a
rate of 4% per annum
The key issues to address with regards for hockey are therefore;
Competition with football highlights the importance of maintaining (and potentially increasing in
light of participation increases) appropriate access to sand based AGPs for training and competitive
activity for hockey clubs;
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 109
There is an identified inbalance between sand based and 3g pitch provision – there are six full sized
sand based pitches and only 2 full sized 3g pitches but 90% of activity that takes place on the AGP
stock is football. This has no negative impact for hockey, but any changes to the pitch stock should
take into account the need to retain 2 sand based pitches for hockey;
Quality of facilities impacts upon the activity that can be undertaken. There is a need to address site
specific issues at Pleckgate / Blackburn Northern in order to ensure the continued growth of the
club and pitch surfaces at Witton Country Park are also in need of replacement
Existing small sized AGPs are underused and there is scope to increase the use of these facilities.
Bowls
Supply
There are 28 bowling greens at 23 sites. In addition, there are three sites that used to contain
bowling greens (Audley Lane, Queen's Park and Burnley Road ) and redundant greens at both
Green Park and Roe Lee Park (other greens still remain at this site).
Until recently, Blackburn with Darwen Council was responsible for the management and
maintenance of 12 bowling greens and the remainder were private facilities. With the exception of
Green Park, all bowling greens managed by the Council were handed over to clubs at the
beginning of the 2013 season (on a lease) and clubs now control the management and
maintenance of these facilities, although they benefit from financial contributions from the Council.
The quality of bowling greens is good and few issues were identified through either
consultations or site visits.
Demand
The profile of participants in bowls is focused more towards older segments of the population
than all other sports considered. Active People suggests that there is some latent demand - 80% of
those residents that expressed an interest in playing bowls are currently playing.
All active greens have existing clubs and there are a total of 125 teams. Most clubs enter several
leagues and many are affiliated to the Blackburn Bowls Partnership, which provides a forum for
knowledge sharing as well as the promotion of bowls as a sport across the borough.
Bowling is relatively static and some clubs indicate that they have experienced a decline in
membership
There is little junior participation, with only two clubs having established junior sections.
Adequacy of Provision
There are no supply and demand models for bowls greens with the only standard being a historic
Sports Council standard. Current provision of 27 greens means that provision is above this
standard.
All existing greens are well used and there are several strong leagues running in the area,
ensuring that those wishing to participate competitively have the opportunity to do so.
All clubs however have capacity for additional members, and there is scope to accommodate
additional teams on all greens at the current time
The recent transfer of assets to clubs from Council management and maintenance will create new
challenges, as clubs are now required to maintain their own facilities in the same manner as private
clubs. This is viewed as the key challenge moving forwards, as clubs work to achieve the required
maintenance in a sustainable manner and within their given budgets and income available.
In contrast to pitch sports however, the ageing population of the borough may see bowls
become more popular in future years, as it is the older age groups who have a higher propensity to
participate. This growth alone could generate an additional 86 bowls players, meaning that each
green would accommodate on average 37 members, which is still well within acceptable capacity.
Higher memberships will increase the sustainability of existing greens, particularly as clubs move
towards self management and maintenance. Without growth in participation, there are concerns
Blackburn with Darwen Playing Pitch Assessment 110
over the future sustainability of bowls clubs.
The quality of bowling greens is currently high (particularly at the former Council facilities) and
ongoing knowledge sharing will be essential if this is to be maintained. Increases in participation
will be instrumental in ensuring the longevity of bowls and will provide additional income to enable
management and maintenance regimes to be sustained.
The key issues to be addressed for bowls are therefore;
there is no requirement for the creation of additional greens, although all current functioning
greens are considered valuable resources;
there is a need to ensure that the quality of greens is maintained through the retention of ongoing
maintenance practices and knowledge sharing;
site specific improvements are also required; and
there are significant opportunities to grow the sport of bowls within the borough and to promote
opportunities to participate. There is a need to maximise income into bowls clubs to ensure the
ongoing sustainability of clubs.
Population growth will increase the number of players and place additional demands on existing
facilities.
Next Steps
This assessment summarises the key issues arising and provides an overview of the assessment
undertaken. The strategy document will seek to address the issues identified and set out the priorities for
delivery.